THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


BULLETINS 

or  THE 

State  Geological  and  Natural  History 
Survey  of  Connecticut. 


1.  First  Biennial  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  State 
Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey,  1903-1904. 

2.  A   Preliminary   Report  on   the   Protozoa  of   the   Fresh 
Waters  of  Connecticut :  by  Herbert  William  Conn. 

3.  A  preliminary  Report  on  the  Hymeniales  of  Connecticut : 
by  Edward  Albert  White. 

4.  The  Clays  and  Clay  Industries  of  Connecticut :  by  Gerald 
Francis  Loughlin.    . 

5.  The  Ustilagineae,  or  Smuts,  of  Connecticut:  by  George 
Perkins  Clinton. 

6.  Manual  of  the  Geology  of  Connecticut :  by  William  North 
Rice  and  Herbert  Ernest  Gregory. 

7.  Preliminary  Geological  Map  of  Connecticut:  by  Herbert 
Ernest  Gregory  and  Henry  Hollister  Robinson. 

8.  Bibliography  of  Connecticut  Geology:  by  Herbert  Ernest 
Gregory. 

9.  Second   Biennial  Report  of  the   Commissioners  of  the 
State  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey,  1905-1906. 

10.  A  preliminary  Report  on  the  Algae  of  the  Fresh  Waters 
of  Connecticut:  by  Herbert  William  Conn  and  Lucia  Washburn 
(Hazen)  Webster. 

n.     The  Bryophytes  of  Connecticut:  by  Alexander  William 
Evans  and  George  Elwood  Nichols. 

12.  Third  Biennial  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  State 
Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey,  1907-1908. 

13.  The  Lithology  of  Connecticut:  by  Joseph  Barrell  and 
Gerald  Francis  Loughlin. 

14.  Catalogue  of  the  Flowering  Plants  and  Ferns  of  Con- 
necticut growing  without  cultivation :  by  a  Committee  of  the  Con- 
necticut Botanical  Society. 

15.  Second  Report  on  the  Hymeniales  of  Connecticut:  by 
Edward  Albert  White. 

1 6.  Guide  to  the  Insects  of  Connecticut:  prepared  under  the 
direction  of  Wilton  Everett  Britton.     Part  I.     General  Introduc- 


tion :  by  Wilton  Everett  Britton.     Part  II.     The  Euplexoptera 
and  Orthoptera  of  Connecticut:  by  Benjamin  Hovey  Walden. 

17.  Fourth  Biennial  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  the 
State  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey,  1909-1910. 

1 8.  Triassic  Fishes  of  Connecticut:  by  Charles  Rochester 
Eastman. 

19.  Echinoderms  of  Connecticut:  by  Wesley  Roscoe  Coe. 

20.  The  Birds  of  Connecticut :  by  John  Hall  Sage  and  Louis 
Bennett  Bishop,  assisted  by  Walter  Parks  Bliss. 

21.  Fifth  Biennial  Report  of  the  Commissioners  ®f  the  State 
Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey,  1911-1912. 

Bulletins  1,9,  12,  17,  and  21  are  merely  administrative  reports, 
containing  no  scientific  matter.  The  other  bulletins  may  be  classi- 
fied as  follows : 

-Geology:     Bulletins  4,  6,  7,  8,  13,  18. 

Botany:      Bulletins  3,  5,  10,  n,  14,  15. 

Zoology:     Bulletins  2,  16,  19,  20. 

These  bulletins  are  sold  and  otherwise  distributed  by  the 
State  Librarian.  Postage,  when  bulletins  are  sent  by  mail,  is  as 
follows:  No.  i,  $0.01 ;  No.  2,  .07;  No.  3,  .08;  No.  4,  .06;  No.  5, 
.03 ;  No.  6,  .12 ;  No.  7,  .06 ;  No.  8,  .05  ;  No.  9,  .02  ;  No.  10,  .08 ;  No. 
n,  .07;  No.  12,  .02;  No  13,  .08;  No.  14,  .16;  No.  15,  .06;  No.  16, 
.07;  No.  17,  .02;  No.  18,  .07;  No.  19,  .08;  No.  20,  .14;  No.  21, 
.02.  The  prices  when  the  bulletins  are  sold  are  as  follows  (in- 
cluding postage)  :  No.  I,  $0.05 ;  No.  2,  .35 ;  No.  3,  .40;  No.  4,  .30; 
No.  5,  .15  ;  No.  6,  .50 ;  No.  7,  .60*  ;  No.  8,  .20 ;  No.  9,  .05 ;  No.  10, 
.35  ;  No.  11,  .30;  No.  12,  .05  ;  No.  13,  .40;  No.  14,  .75  ;  No.  15,  .35  ; 
No.  16,  .35;  No.  17,  .05;  No.  18,  .25;  No.  19,  .45;  No.  20,  .48; 
No.  21,  .05. 

Bulletins  1-5  are  bound  as  Volume  I.  The  price  of  this 
volume  is  $1.50.  Bulletins  6-12  are  bound  as  Volume  II.  The 
price  of  this  volume  is  $2.45.  Bulletins  13-15  are  bound  as  Vol- 
ume III.  The  price  of  this  volume  is  $2.50.  Other  volumes  will 
follow. 

It  is  intended  to  follow  a  liberal  policy  in  gratuituously  dis- 
tributing these  publications  to  public  libraries,  colleges,  and 
scientific  institutions,  and  to  scientific  men,  teachers,  and  others 
who  require  particular  bulletins  for  their  work,  especially  to  those 
who  are  citizens  of  Connecticut. 

Applications  or  inquiries  should  be  addressed  to 

GEORGE  S.  GODARD, 
State  Librarian, 

Hartford,  Conn. 

*  If  map   is  mounted   as  a   wall   map,   and   sent  by   express,   $1.60. 


CATALOGUE  SLIPS. 


Connecticut.    State  geological  and  natural  history  survey. 

Bulletin  no.  20.  The  birds  of  Connecticut.  By 
J.  H.  Sage  and  L.  B.  Bishop,  assisted  by  W.  P.  Bliss. 
Hartford,  1913. 

370pp.,  23cm. 


Sage,  John  Hall. 

The  birds  of  Connecticut.  By  John  Hall  Sage  and 
Louis  Bennett  Bishop,  assisted  by  Walter  Parks  Bliss. 
Hartford,  1913. 

370  pp.,  23cm. 

(Bulletin  no.  20,  Connecticut  geological  and  natural  history  survey. ) 


CATALOGUE  SLIPS. 


Bishop,  Louis  Bennett. 

The  birds  of  Connecticut.  By  John  Hall  Sage  and 
Louis  Bennett  Bishop,  assisted  by  Walter  Parks  Bliss. 
Hartford,  1913. 

370  pp. ,  23cm. 

(Bulletin  no.  20,  Connecticut  geological  and  natural  history  survey.) 


Blissy  Walter  Parks. 

The  birds  of  Connecticut.  By  John  Hall  Sage  and 
Louis  Bennett  Bishop,  assisted  by  Walter  Parks  Bliss. 
Hartford,  1913. 

370  pp.,  23CD1. 

(Bulletin  no.  20,  Connecticut  geological  and  natural  history  survey. ) 


CATALOGUE  SLIPS. 


Biology. 

Sage,  J.  H.  The  birds  of  Connecticut.  By  John 
Hall  Sage  and  Louis  Bennett  Bishop,  assisted  by  Walter 
Parks  Bliss.  Hartford,  1913. 

370pp.,  23cm. 

(Bulletin  no.  20,  Connecticut  geological  and  natural  history  survey.) 


Birds. 

Sage,  J.  H.  The  Birds  of  Connecticut.  By  John 
Hall  Sage  and  Louis  Bennett  Bishop,  assisted  by  Walter 
Parks  Bliss.  Hartford,  1913. 

370  pp. ,  23cm. 

(Bulletin  no.  20,  Connecticut  geological  and  natural  history  survey.) 


of  (Scrmeelicui 

PUBLIC  DOCUMENT  No.  47 


State  Geological  and  Natural 
History  Survey 


COMMISSIONERS 

SIMEON    EBEN    BALDWIN,   Governor   of   Connecticut    (Chairman') 
ARTHUR    TWINING    HADLEY,    President    of    Yale    University 
WILLIAM    ARNOLD    SHAN  KLIN,    President   of   Wesleyan    University 
FLAVEL   SWEETEN   LUTHER,   President  of   Trinity   College    (Secretary) 
CHARLES   LEWIS   BEACH,   President   of   Connecticut   Agricultural   College 


SUPERINTENDENT 
WILLIAM  NORTH   RICE 


BULLETIN  No.  20 


HARTFORD 

Printed  for  the  State  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 

1913 


PUBLICATION  APPROVED  BY  THE 
BOARD  OF  CONTROL 


The  Case,  Lockwood  &  Brainard  Co..  Hartford.  Conn. 


The  Birds  of  Connecticut 


By 

JOHN  HALLlSAGE,  M.S, 
Secretary  of  the  American   OrflltTTologists'   Union 

and 

LOUIS  BENNETT  BISHOP,  M.D. 
Fellow  of  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union 

assisted  by 
WALTER   PARKS   BLISS,   M.A. 


HARTFORD 

Printed  for  the  State  Geological  and  Natural  History  Survey 

1913 


Contents 

PAGE 

Introduction  7 

«<- 

Part  I.     Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut              .  13 

Appendices  to  Part  I  -     183 

1 .  Catalogue  of  Introduced  Species  and  Doubt- 
ful Species    -  -     183 

2.  Statistical  Summary  -     190 

3.  List  of  Observers  referred  to  by  initials  or 

by  surnames  -     196 

4.  Bibliography  -     200 
Part  II.     Economic  Ornithology  -  -     259 


PK351885 


Introduction 


Facing  Long  Island  Sound  for  practically  all  of  its  hundred 
Kiiles  of  southern  border,  Connecticut  shows  a  succession  of  low, 
rocky  promontories  and  sandy  beaches  divided  by  shallow  bays 
and  salt  marshes.  The  latter  stretch  for  varying  distances  north- 
ward, but  soon  give  place  to  rather  broad  stream  valleys,  sepa- 
rated by  gently  rising  hills.  These  hills,  usually  low  and  rounded 
at  the  coast,  when  not  dikes  or  sheets  of  trap,  as  near  New  Haven, 
become  rapidly  more  mountainous  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
state,  culminating  in  Bear  Mountain  in  the  extreme  corner,  2,354 
feet  in  altitude  and  sixty  miles  from  the  Sound. 

The  soil  of  these  hills  is  usually  poor  and  shallow,  while  that 
of  many  of  the  valleys  is  deep  and  rich,  so  that,  while  the  low- 
lands are  well  cultivated  and  thickly  settled,  the  uplands  are  gen- 
erally left  to  brush  land  or  forest.  From  this  configuration  it  will 
be  evident  that  most  of  the  streams  are  short  and  flow  in  a  south- 
erly direction.  Three  main  river  courses  cross  the  state:  —  the 
Thames  on  the  east,  which  for  its  lower  quarter  is  practically  an 
arm  of  the  sea,  and  above  that  hardly  more  than  a  small  stream ; 
the  Connecticut,  which  passes  through  the  center,  in  a  broad  and 
fertile  valley  in  its  upper  course,  and  in  a  narrow  valley  hemmed 
in  by  highlands  below  Portland ;  and  the  Housatonic  in  the  western 
part,  with  a  narrow  and  much  more  mountainous  valley.  Appar- 
ently the  Connecticut  and  upper  Housatonic  valleys  and  the  south- 
ern coast  line  are  highways  for  the  migration  of  our  birds  in 
spring,  and  the  coast  line  certainly  is  in  fall,  but  our  information 
on  this  point  is  at  present  very  incomplete. 

The  woodland  consists  chiefly  of  deciduous  trees,  though  hem- 
locks and  cedars  are  common,  and  groves  of  white  pine  and 
spruce  still  exist  in  the  northwestern  portion. 

Shut  off  from  the  ocean  by  Long  Island,  strictly  pelagic  birds 
are  seldom  found  in  Connecticut,  but  for  many  other  species  it 
is  particularly  fitted  as  regards  climate  and  topography.  Over  135 


8  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

species  nest  more  or  less  regularly  within  its  borders,  and  it  is 
probable  there  are  few  localities  in  our  country  where  so  many 
can  be  found  within  so  circumscribed  an  area.  Almost  the  entire 
state  lies  in  the  Alleghenian  Zone,  where  such  birds  as  the  Ruffed 
Grouse,  Red-shouldered  Hawk,  Kingbird,  Least  Flycatcher,  Bobo- 
link, Baltimore  Oriole,  Goldfinch,  Towhee,  Indigo  Bunting,  Scar- 
let Tanager,  Red-eyed,  and  Warbling  Vireos,  Black  and  White, 
Yellow,  and  Chestnut-sided  Warblers,  Catbird,  Brown  Thrasher, 
Chickadee,Wood,  and  Wilson's  Thrushes,  nest  abundantly.  Along 
the  southern  border  and  for  some  distance  up  the  Housatonic  and 
Connecticut  valleys,  the  breeding,  often  in  abundance,  of  such 
species  as  the  Clapper  Rail,  Fish  Crow,  Acadian  Flycatcher, 
Orchard  Oriole,  Seaside  Sparrow,  White-eyed  Vireo,  Worm- 
eating,  Blue-winged,  Prairie,  Hooded,  and  Kentucky  Warblers, 
Louisiana  Water-thrush,  and  Yellow-breasted  Chat  brings  this  dis- 
trict within  the  northern  limits  of  the  Carolinian  Zone ;  while  the 
occasional,  and  in  some  cases  regular,  breeding  of  the  Canadian 
Ruffed  Grouse,  Goshawk,  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  Alder  Fly- 
catcher, Savannah,  and  White-throated  Sparrows  (  ?) ,  Blue-headed 
Vireo,  Black-throated  Blue,  Magnolia  ( ?) ,  Blackburnian,  and 
Canadian  Warblers,  Winter  Wren  (?),  Red-breasted  Nuthatch, 
and  Hermit  Thrush,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Litchfield  County, 
shows  at  least  strong  Canadian  elements  in  the  avifauna,  though 
it  may  not  be  enough  to  include  that  district  in  the  Canadian 
Zone. 

Interest  in  our  birds  must  have  existed  among  many  in  the 
earlier  days  of  Connecticut,  and  scattered  references  to  them  may 
be  found  in  many  volumes ;  but  the  first  definite  list  of  the  birds 
of  the  state  was  written  by  the  Rev.  James  H.  Linsley,  of  Strat- 
ford,1 and  published  in  the  American  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts 
in  1843.  ^e  recorded  302  species,  but  of  these  Dr.  Merriam2  con- 
cluded that  only  239  distinct  species  had  been  reported  on  satis- 
factory evidence.  He  recorded  several  birds  that  have  not  since 
been  reported  from  our  state,  and  some  of  his  specimens  are  still 
in  the  Peabody  Museum  of  Yale  University,  and  others  in  the 
collection  of  the  Bridgeport  Scientific  Society. 


1  A  Catalogue  of  Birds  of  Connecticut,  arranged  according  to  their  natural 
families;  by  the  Rev.  James  H.  Linsley.  Am.  Jour.  Sci.  and  Arts,  vol.  xliv,  No. 
2,  pp.  249-74,  April,  1843. 

a  Merriam,   Review  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut,  p.    144. 


No.    20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  9 

Thirty-four  years  later  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  prepared  a  list 
with  copious  and  valuable  annotations,  which  was  published  in 
the  Transactions  of  the  Connecticut  Academy  of  Arts  and  Science 
in  I87/.1  This  work  is  a  model  of  its  kind,  but  has  been  long 
out  of  print.  Dr.  Merriam  was  able  to  notice  291  species  with 
good  claims  to  inclusion  in  our  avifauna;  and  of  these  several 
have  not  been  taken  since  in  our  state. 

Thirty- four  years  have  again  passed,  during  which  enormous 
strides  have  been  taken  in  the  knowledge  of  the  birds  of  our 
entire  country.  We  wish  we  could  say  the  knowledge  of  Con- 
necticut ornithology  had  kept  pace.  But  it  has  not.  The  birds  of 
certain  localities  near  the  larger  cities  are  well  known,  but  there 
are  still  large  districts  —  in  fact  the  greater  portion  —  of  the  state 
from  which  no  records  have  reached  us.  Ornithologists  in  Con- 
necticut are  far  too  few,  and  many  of  them  have  little  time  to 
devote  to  this  study;  but  all  have  responded  most  generously  to 
our  appeal  for  assistance,  as  the  following  pages  will  show.  This 
list  is  based  primarily  on  the  notes  and  collections  of  Mr.  Sage 
and  Dr.  Bishop,  obtained  through  field  work  in  Connecticut  dur- 
ing the  past  45  and  30  years  respectively.  The  migration  dates 
for  Portland  and  New  Haven,  given  without  quotation  of  author- 
ity, are  taken  from  their  field  notes,  as  are  all  other  statements 
and  dates  for  which  the  name  of  the  authority  is  not  cited. 
Practically  all  the  other  records  from  the  western  portion  of  the 
state  and  from  New  London  were  given  to  Dr.  Bishop,  either  in 
the  form  of  specimens,  by  notes,  or  by  word  of  mouth,  by  the 
gentlemen  to  whom  they  are  accredited;  and  he  is  entirely  re- 
sponsible for  the  chapter  on  Economic  Ornithology.  For  the 
citation  of  most  of  the  other  published  and  unpublished  records 
Mr.  Sage  is  to  be  credited,  while  Mr.  Bliss  has  found  some  in 
ornithological  literature.  To  Mr.  Bliss  has  fallen  the  task  of  tabu- 
lating Mr.  Sage's  records  of  the  past  45  years,  which  press  of 
other  duties  prevented  Mr.  Sage  doing  himself,  searching  ornitho- 
logical works  for  records,  preparing  much  of  the  bibliography, 
as  well  as  the  index,  etc.,  and  combining  all  the  notes  into  as 
harmonious  a  whole  as  is  possible  in  a  work  of  this  character. 

For  cordial  cooperation  and  assistance  our  hearty  thanks  are 
due  to  Prof.  A.  E.  Verrill,  Dr.  Leonard  C.  Sanford,  Rev.  Her- 

1  Review  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut  with  Remarks  on  their  Habits,  by  C. 
Hart  Merriam.  Trans.  Conn.  Acad.,  vol.  iv,  pp.  1-150,  July,  1877. 


IO  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

bert  K.  Job,  Harry  W.  Flint,  J.  B.  Robertson,  Clarence  R. 
Hooker,  Aretas  A.  Saunders,  Clifford  H.  and  Dwight  B.  Pang- 
burn,  Philip  L.  Buttrick,  and  Alfred  W.  Honywill,  Jr.,  of  New 
Haven ;  Lewis  B.  Woodruff  and  Prof.  C.  C.  Trowbridge,  of  New 
York;  William  H.  Hoyt,  Louis  H.  Porter,  and  John  Schaler,  of 
Stamford;  Dr.  E.  H.  Eames,  Henry  W.  Beers,  and  George  L. 
Hamlin,  of  Bridgeport;  Jesse  C.  A.  Meeker,  of  Danbury;  E.  H. 
Austin,  of  Gaylordsville ;  H.  Cornelius  and  Robert  C.  Judd,  of 
Bethel;  James  H.  Hill,  of  New  London;  Alanson  Ganung,  of 
West  Haven;  Willard  E.  Treat,  of  East  Hartford;  C.  G.  Hart, 
of  East  Berlin;  and  many  others;  who  have  contributed  records 
of  value.  Mr.  Walter  R.  Nichols,  often  mentioned  in  Dr.  Mer- 
riam's  catalogue,  also  gave  his  ready  help,  but  him  our  thanks 
can  no  longer  reach ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  late  Mr.  E.  Sey- 
mour Woodruff,  whose  initials  appear  so  frequently  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages.  A  careful  and  conscientious  observer,  with  won- 
derfully keen  eyes  and  ears,  an  enthusiastic  and  able  naturalist, 
a  firm  friend  and  a  delightful  companion,  he  was  taken  at  the 
beginning  of  a  most  promising  career,  leaving  all  who  knew  him 
to  mourn  him.  We  wish  also  to  add  our  tribute  to  the  faithful- 
ness and  reliability  of  Judge  John  N.  Clark,  who  died  in  1903, 
and  whose  letters  and  published  records  are  often  quoted  in  this 
Bulletin.  A  thorough  and  painstaking  ornithologist,  he  did  more 
perhaps  than  any  one  else  to  increase  our  knowledge  of  the  breed- 
ing habits  of  certain  birds  along  the  southern  border  of  Con- 
necticut. 

That  this  list  is  in  many  ways  unsatisfactory  and  incomplete 
the  authors  realize  all  too  well;  but  they  hope  that  it  may  be  a 
stimulus  to  others  to  fill  up  the  gaps  by  conscientious  collecting, 
never  being  satisfied  with  an  "  opera-glass  record  "  of  any  spe- 
cies that  is  at  all  rare,  or  with  which  they  are"  not  perfectly 
familiar.  Field-glasses  are  of  great  assistance  in  the  study  of 
the  habits  of  birds,  and  in  identifying  species  with  which  one  is 
already  familiar;  but  every  field  ornithologist  knows  that  the 
play  of  light  and  shadow  often  distorts  colors  and  size  so  that 
the  bird  in  the  hand  may  prove  a  very  different  species  from 
what  it  appeared  in  the  tree.  Therefore  records  of  species  out 
of  their  accustomed  habitat  should  always  be  received  with  doubt 
unless  accompanied  by  the  bird  itself.  No  one  need  fear  that 


NO.    2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  II 

such  collecting  will  prevent  a  species  from  establishing  itself  in 
our  state;  for  experience  has  shown  that  birds  have  their  nat- 
ural limits,  within  which  alone  they  can  rear  young  successfully, 
and  that  the  reason  any  given  species  of  North  American  bird 
does  not  nest  with  us  is  that  for  some  cause  it  finds  the  conditions 
in  the  season  of  reproduction  unfavorable,  or  that  it  is  unable  to 
survive  our  winters,  unless  it  is  destroyed  for  sport  or  millinery. 
The  vain  attempts  of  the  Carolina  Wren  to  obtain  a  foothold  in 
southern  Connecticut  are  a  case  in  point.  Practically  all  our  exact 
knowledge  of  the  usefulness  of  birds  has  been  obtained  by  the 
labor  of  ornithologists,  often  undertaken  without  thought  of 
pecuniary  reward ;  and  it  seems  the  height  of  ingratitude  and  folly 
to  impede  their  future  work  by  the  imposition  of  burdensome 
regulations  regarding  collecting,  or  to  forbid  collecting  entirely, 
as  has  been  done  by  some  legislatures.  For,  if  there  is  one  thing 
that  is  evident  to  those  who  have  done  much  field  work  in 
ornithology,  it  is  that  the  collecting  of  birds  and  eggs  for  scien- 
tific purposes,  even  by  boys,  can  never  appreciably  reduce  their 
numbers,  as  long  as  they  are  protected  from  too  much  slaughter 
in  the  name  of  sport,  and  their  eggs  and  young  are  guarded 
from  cats,  which  probably  do  as  much  damage  to  the  young 
of  our  small  useful  birds  near  our  towns  and  cities  as  all  other 
agencies  combined. 


PART  I 
Catalogue 

OF  THE 

Birds  of  Connecticut 


Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut. 


Order  PYGOPODES.     Diving  Birds. 

Suborder  COLYMBI.     Grebes. 
Family  COLYMBID^E.     Grebes. 

Colymbus  holboelli    (Reinhardt).     Holbcell's  Grebe. 

A  rare  winter  resident  of  Long  Island  Sound  from  November 
to  March ;  very  rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.     Portland,  Oct.  30,  1895. 

Latest  record.     Portland,  May  3,  1889. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  recorded  this  species  from  Strat- 
ford;1 Oct.  19,  1860,  Hartford,  one  shot  (reported  by  Dr.  Crary)  j1 
Feb.  23,  1875,  Saybrook,  one  taken  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  21,  1885, 
New  Haven  (G.  E.  V.,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  spring,  1887  (  ?), 
Milford,  one  taken  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  May  3,  1889,  one;  April 
14,  1894,  one;  Oct.  30,  1895,  one,  Portland  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Nov.  1 6,  1895,  Stony  Creek,  female  taken  (E.  M.  Cooper,  in 
coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.  20,  1899,  Bridgeport,  young  male  taken 
(J.  H.  Canfield,  in  coll.  of  Mr.  Beers)  ;  Feb.  27,  1902,  Saybrook, 
one  taken  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  Jan.,  1904,  New  Haven  (in  coll.  of  L. 
C.  S.)  ;  April,  1904,  Kent,  one  shot  (recorded  by  H.  K.  J.)  ;z 
Jan.  26,  1905,  Danbury,  one  picked  up  exhausted  and  kept  some 
time  (Bristol,  recorded  by  J.  C.  A.  M.,  now  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Feb.  6,  1908,  Gaylordsville,  one  found  alive  (G.  A.  Clute,  in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  28,  1909,  one;  Oct.  15,  1910,  Portland,  one 
(in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Colymbus  auritus  Linnaeus.     Horned  Grebe. 

Formerly  a  common  fall  migrant  and  winter  resident  on  Long 
Island  Sound  from  October  to  May  j1  much  rarer  in  recent  years. 
Never  common  in  the  interior  of  the  state. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of   Conn.,  p.    137. 
3  Job,   The   Sport  of   Bird   Study,   p. 


l6  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  12,  1882;  Portland,  Oct. 
19,  1877. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  March  16,  1894;  Portland,  May 
3,  1889. 

Recent  records.  Nov.  6,  1905,  Sept.  28,  1906,  Litchfield  (E. 
S.  W.)  ;  Nov.  3,  1906,  Guilford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  6,  and  Nov.  9, 
1906,  Stony  Creek  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May,  1906,  Litchfield  (H.  K.  J.)  j1 
Oct.  21,  1907,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Feb.  25,  1909,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.). 

Breeding  records.  Mr.  Job  believes  a  pair  bred  in  Litchfield 
County  in  1906.  The  following  specimens  in  breeding  plumage 
are  recorded  for  this  state:  North  Haven,  April  24,  1883;  New 
Haven,  May,  1888  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  3,  1889  (in  coll. 
of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Stamford,  May  8,  1893  (in  coll.  of  Mr.  Porter). 

The  Horned  Grebe  has  been  recorded  from  the  following 
inland  localities:  Haddam  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.  and 
H.  K.  J.)  ;  Melrose  (C.  A.  Thompson)  ;2  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
East  Hartford  (W.  E.  T.). 

Podilymbus  podiceps  (Linnaeus).     Pied-billed  Grebe. 

A  common  fall  migrant  in  September  and  October  on  fresh- 
water ponds  and  on  the  creeks  of  the  tide- water  marshes.  Very 
rare  in  the  spring. 

Average  fall  migration.     Sept.  15  —  Oct.  20. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  30,  1895 ;  Portland,  Sept. 
10,  1893. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  25,  1882;  Portland,  Nov. 
22,  1893. 

Spring  records.  April  7,  1892,  Stratford  (C.  K.  A.,  in  coll. 
of  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.)  ;  April  13,  1895,  and  April  19,  1905,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.)  ;  April  12-14,  1906,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  April 
2-23,  1910,  West  Haven  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  May  6,  1910,  West  Haven 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Breeding  records.  E.  H.  A.  informs  us  that  he  has  seen  this 
bird  almost  every  month  in  the  year  on  the  ponds  in  Litchfield 
County,  and  believes  that  they  breed  there.  Mr.  N.  D.  Betts  of 
Boulder,  Colo.,  records3  seeing  five  adults  on  a  pond  in  Wilton, 

lJ6b,   The    Sport   of    Bird    Study,    p.    287. 
aO.    and   O.,   viii,    i,   p.    3. 
*  Bird-Lore,   xii,   5,   p.    199. 


No.    20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  17 

Conn.,  July  21,  1909,  one  of  which  was  feeding  four  young. 
These  young  did  not  appear  to  be  over  five  or  six  inches  long,  and 
must  have  been  hatched  at  the  pond.  Merriam1  and  Samuels2 
both  note  that  this  species  breeds  within  the  state,  though  neither 
mentions  any  specific  records. 

Suborder  CEPPHI.        Loons  and  Auks. 
Family  GAVIID^E.     Loons. 

Gavia  immer  (Brimnich).     Loon.     Great  Northern  Diver. 

A  common  winter  resident  of  Long  Island  Sound  from  Novem- 
ber to  May,  the  majority  going  farther  south  in  the  winter.  Occa- 
sional on  the  inland  waterways.  Very  rare  in  the  summer. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  10,  1883;  Portland,  Sept. 
26,  1892. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  24,  1900,  and  1907 
(C.  H.  P.)  ;  Portland,  July  6,  1893. 

Inland  records.  Portland,  Dec.  I,  1874,  Dec.  2,  1877,  Nov.  7, 
1890,  Sept.  26,  1892,  July  6,  1893;  Litchfield,  Nov.  6,  1905,  and 
Sept.  28,  1906  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Lake  Waramaug,  Litchfield  County 
(no  date  given)  ;3  East  Hampton.4 

Breeding  records.  Merriam  notes4  that  according  to  Mr.  W. 
G.  Buell  this  species  "  has  been  known  to  breed  on  a  pond  at  East 
Hampton."  Mr.  W.  R.  Nichols  informs  us  that  a  pair  bred  at 
Lake  Saltonstall  in  1890,  since  he  saw  the  old  birds  with  two  young 
there  the  last  of  June  or  early  in  July  of  that  year,  and  that  the 
last  previous  record  of  their  breeding  on  this  lake  was  in  1878. 

Summer  records.  July  24,  1882,  Goose  Island,  Long  Island 
Sound,  one  pair  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  July  6,  1893,  Portland,  one  young 
female  (J.  H.  S.). 

Gavia  stellata  (Pontoppidan).     Red-throated  Loon. 

A  rather  common  winter  resident  along  the  coast  from  Novem- 
ber to  March.  Very  rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  20,  1883;  Portland,  Oct. 
10,  1892 ;  Branford,  Oct.  7,  1908,  an  adult  in  summer  plumage 
(L.  C.  S.). 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.    137. 

3  Samuels,    Birds   of   New   England,   p.    563. 

3  O.   and  O.,  ix,   6,  p.   76. 

4  Merriam,    Birds   of   Conn.,   p.    136. 

2 


l8  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  23,  1887  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Bran- 
ford,  April  30,  1888  (W.  H.  Gardner). 

Inland  records.  Portland,  Oct.  10,  1892,  a  young  female  (in 
coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Hartford,  Nov.  20,  1895,  a  young  bird  found 
alive  on  the  street,  probably  after  being  caught  in  the  electric 
wires  in  the  fog. 

Only  rarely  are  birds  taken  in  the  full  nuptial  plumage,  as 
most  go  north  in  March  before  assuming  this  dress. 

Mr.  Nichols  informed  Mr.  Merriam1  "  that  he  saw  one  as  late 
as  June  2,  1877." 

Family  ALCID^E.     Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 
Subfamily  ^ETHiiNyE.    Auklets,  Murrelets,  and  Guillemots. 

Cepphus  grylle  (Linnaeus).       Black  Guillemot. 

The  only  record  for  this  species  in  Connecticut  is  that  of  a 
male,  received  by  J.  H.  S.  from  Mr.  Gurdon  Trumbull,  taken  at 
Stony  Creek  in  December,  i887.2 

Subfamily  ALCIN^E.     Auks  and  Murres. 

Uria  lomvia  lomvia  (Linnaeus).     Briinnich's  Murre. 

An  irregular  and  probably  accidental  winter  visitor  to  Long 
Island  Sound;  found  occasionally  on  the  ponds  in  the  interior  of 
the  state. 

Usual  visitation  between  Dec.  I  and  Jan.  15. 

Earliest  record.  Portland,  Nov.  21,  1901 ;  Rocky  Hill,  Nov. 
18,1893  (W.E.T.). 

Latest  record.    Saybrook,  Feb.  19,  1878  (J.  N.  C). 

Records  for  Connecticut.  Feb.  19,  1878,  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C.)  ; 
Jan.,  1884,  Saybrook  (Dr.  Pratt)  ;  Jan.  7,  19,  1891,  Stamford 
(Hoyt  and  Schaler)  ;  Jan.  13,  1891,  common  at  Stony  Creek 
(W.  F.  Davis)  ;  Nov.  18,  1893,  Rocky  Hill  (W.  E.  T.)  ;3  Dec.  n, 
1894,  Essex  (E.  Saunders)  ;  Dec.  14,  22,  1894,  Portland  (J.  H. 
S.)  ;  Dec.  15,  1894,  Stamford  (Hoyt)  ;  Dec.  1894,  Lake  Saltonstall 
(A.  J.  G.)  ;  Jan.  I,  1895,  Stony  Creek  (E.  M.  Cooper)  ;  Dec., 
1896,  New  Haven  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  winter,  1900-1,  Saybrook  (J.  N. 
C.)  ;  Nov.  21,  29,  Dec.  14,  1901,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dec.  6, 


i  Merriam,    Birds   of   Conn.,   p.    136. 
«J.   H.   S.,  Auk,  vii,   3,   p.   283. 
9  Auk,    xii.    2,    p.    177. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  19 

1901,  New  Haven  (C.  A.  Dorman)  ;  Dec.,  1901,  Still  River,  Litch- 
field  County  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  Dec.,  1907,  Twin  Lakes  (C.  S.  Phelps).1 

According  to  C.  K.  A.2  this  species  occurred  in  great  numbers 
along  the  Connecticut  coast  during  the  winter  of  1890-1.  Hoyt 
(Stamford)  reported  them  plentiful  there  from  Dec.  20  to  Feb.  10 
of  that  winter.,  he  himself  seeing  fourteen.  At  that  same  time 
D.  C.  Sanford  reported  "  thousands  of  them  "  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Saugatuck  River. 

The  Murre  taken  by  Capt.  Brooks  near  Faulkner's  Island 
"  about  eight  years  ago  "  and  recorded  by  Dr.  Merriam  as  Uria 
troile  is  a  bird  of  this  species.3 

This  species  was  not  recorded  in  Linsley's  or  Merriam's  list. 

Alca  torda  Linnaeus.     Razor-billed  Auk. 

The  only  Connecticut  reference  to  this  species  is  by  Merriam, 
who  merely  states  that  it  is  "  a  rare  winter  visitor  in  the  Sound  ".3 

Specimens  have  since  been  recorded  from  points  farther  south 
(Cobb's  Island  and  Norfolk,  Va.). 

Subfamily  ALLIN^E.     Dovekies. 

Alle  alle  (Linnaeus).     Dovekie.     Little  Auk. 

A  rare  winter  visitant  on  the  coast.    Very  rare  inland. 

Coast  records.  Nov.  25,  1874,  Saybrook,  picked  up  on  beach 
after  a  severe  storm  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Nov.  26,  1877,  Morris 
Cove,  New  Haven  (in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  Oct.,  1879,  two>  Guil- 
ford  (in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  Jan.  15,  1891,  Stony  Creek  (in  coll. 
of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  16,  1894,  Stony  Creek  (in  coll.  of  Mr.  Porter)  ; 
c.  Dec.  10,  1893,  Stonington.4 

Inland  records.  Nov.  10,  1849,  Portland  (Wood)  ;3  Nov., 
1871,  Middletown  (G.  B.  Goode)  ;3  Sept.,  1874,  Wallingford  (W. 
F.  Lane)  ;3  Dec.  7,  1877,  Portland  (W.  W.  C.)  ;  Nov.  23,  1878, 
Pomfret,  blown  inland  during  severe  gale  (in  coll.  of  C.  M. 
Jones).5 

Jjob,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  289. 
"C.    K.    Averill,   Auk,  viii,   3,   pp.    307-8. 
'Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    p.    138. 
*N.    Y.   Tribune,   Dec.    10,    1893. 
5  O.    and    O.,   viii,    4,    p.    32. 


2O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Order  LONGIPENNES.  Long-winged  Swimmers. 
Family  STERCORARIIDJE.     Skuas  and  Jaegers. 

Stercorarius  parasiticus  (Linnaeus).  Parasitic  (or  Richard- 
son's) Jaeger. 

Merriam  refers  to  this  species  as  a  "  rare  winter  visitor."1 
Linsley  notes  it  from  Bridgeport. 

Taken  at  Portland,  fall  of  1875  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  at  Noank,  Sept. 
10,  1903  (Dr.  C.  B.  Graves,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Stercorarius  longicaudus  Vieillot.     Long-tailed  Jaeger. 

The  only  record  of  this  species  appears  in  Merriam's  Birds  of 
Connecticut,  p.  131.  "I  have  just  received  from  Wm.  F.  Lane,  a 
beautiful  adult  specimen  of  this  Larine  plunderer,  which  he  shot 
on  the  Community  Lake  at  Wallingford,  Conn.,  Aug.  3Oth,  1873." 

Family  LARIDJE.     Gulls  and  Terns. 
Subfamily  LARIN^E.     Gulls. 

Rissa  tridactyla  tridactyla  (Linnaeus).     Kittiwake. 

.A  very  rare  winter  visitant  on  the  coast. 

April  2,  1880,  large  numbers  in  the  Thames  River,  Norwich 
(S.  T.  H.)  ;2  Nov.  15,  1883,  one  brought  to  the  Peabody  Museum 
and  seen  in  the  flesh  by  L.  B.  B. ;  Dec.  3,  1884,  one  seen  alive  at 
West  Haven  by  L.  B.  B.;  Dec.  n,  1886,  and  March  19,  1887, 
seen  at  New  Haven  by  L.  B.  W. ;  Jan.  21,  1895,  a  young  male 
taken  at  Stamford  (in  coll.  of  Mr.  Schaler). 

Larus  leucopterus  Faber.     Iceland  Gull. 

The  only  record  for  Connecticut  is  a  young  male  which  was 
shot  by  a  fisherman  between  Rye  and  Stamford,  March  3,  1894, 
and  is  now  in  the  collection  of  L.  H.  Porter.3 

Larus  kumlieni  Brewster.     Kumlien's  Gull. 
A  young  female  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Porter  was  shot  in 
Stamford  Harbor,  Feb.  16,  1894. 


1  Merriam,    Birds    of   Conn.,    p.    131. 
*O.   and   O.,  vi,   4,   p.   31. 
»  Auk,  xii,  i,  p.  76. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  21 

Larus  marinus  Linnaeus.     Great  Black-backed  Gull. 

A  rather  rare  and  very  shy  winter  resident  of  the  Sound. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  10,  1883,  Oct.  n,  1886 
(L.  B.  W.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Jan.  19,  1895,  April  2,  1887 
(L.  B.  W.). 

Larus  argentatus  Pontoppidan.     Herring  Gull. 

An  abundant  winter  resident  on  the  Sound  and  along  the  in- 
land waterways. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  14,  1883;  Portland,  Oct. 
6,  1892. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  24,  1900;  Portland,  April 
20,  1908. 

During  the  day  these  birds  are  abundant  in  New  Haven  Har- 
bor, but  the  majority  do  not  sleep  there,  for  they  may  be  seen 
flying  west  along  the  coast  toward  sunset  and  returning  from  that 
direction  about  sunrise. 

Small  flocks  may  often  be  seen  during  the  migration  in  May 
flying  high  in  an  easterly  direction  and  at  some  distance  inland. 
A  large  flight,  estimated  at  over  1,000  birds,  in  flocks  of  from 
three  to  twelve  individuals,  was  seen  at  Hartford,  March  20,  1889, 
by  W.  E.  Treat. 

Larus  delawarensis  Ord.     Ring-billed  Gull. 

A  rare  fall  migrant  on  the  coast. 

Connecticut  records.  Nov.  29,  1886,  West  Haven  (L.  B.  W.)  ; 
Oct.  19,  1893,  Stamford  (in  coll.  of  Mr.  Porter)  ;  Dec.  6,  1893, 
Stamford  (in  coll.  of  Mr.  Schaler)  ;  Dec.  4,  1896,  Stony  Creek 
(J.  E.  Cooper,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  23,  1905,  Oct.  7,  1908, 
Branford  (L.  C.  S.,  the  latter  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Merriam  asserts  that  it  is  not  rare  and  that  the  young  of  this 
species  may  frequently  be  seen  in  the  winter  associated  with  L. 
argentatus^ 

Larus  atricilla  Linnaeus.     Laughing  Gull. 
At  present  only  an  accidental  summer  visitor.    Never  common. 
Linsley  found  it  at  Stonington.     Mr.  Osborne  informed  Dr. 
Merriam  that  he  had  seen  one,  June  I, 


Merriam,    Birds   of   Conn.,   p.    132. 


22  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull 

The  only  recent  record  is  that  of  L.  C.  S.,  who  saw  an  adult  in 
breeding  plumage,  followed  by  a  young  bird,  at  Branford,  Sept. 
I,  1904. 

Larus  Philadelphia  (Ord).     Bonaparte's  Gull. 

A  rather  rare  late  fall  migrant  and  occasional  winter  resident 
on  the  Sound.  Rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  10,  1883,  Oct.  n,  1889 
(L.  B.  W.);  Stamford,  Sept.  15,  1904  (Schaler). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  29,  1884,  Jan.,  1887  (E.  F. 
Coe). 

Inland  records.  Litchfield,  July  I,  1892  (examined  by  L.  B. 
W.  and  E.  S.  W.)  ;  Sept.  24,  1895,  four  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  April,  1905 
(in  coll.  of  Litchfield  Sci.  Soc.)  j1  Haddam  Neck,  Nov.  17,  1900 
(in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Wallingford,  fall,  1874  (eight  seen  by  W. 
F.  Lane).2 

Summer  records.  Litchfield,  July  I,  1892;*  Saybrook,  Aug. 
8,  1896  (A.  Taylor,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Formerly  "  quite  common  about  Faulkner's  Island,  Conn.,  in 
October  and  November  "  and  occasionally  seen  "  at  Goose  Island 
in  the  summer  ".2 

Subfamily  STERNIN^E.     Terns. 

Sterna  hirundo  Linnaeus.     Common  Tern. 

A  rather  rare  though  formerly  common3  summer  resident, 
breeding  in  a  few  small  colonies  on  islands  in  the  Sound  and  in 
the  extensive  salt  marshes  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  state. 

Breeding  sites.  Prior  to  1898,  when  the  Government  took 
over  Great  Gull  Island  on  Long  Island  Sound  for  coast  defense 
fortifications,  this  island  was  the  location  of  a  colony  of  7000  terns. 
Since  their  dispersion  at  this  time  they  have  taken  all  the  available 
islands  off  the  Connecticut  shore  for  nesting  sites,  where  from  one 
to  a  dozen  pairs  may  be  found  every  season.  These  include 
Goose  I.  (near  Faulkner's  I.),  Duck  I.  (near  Saybrook),  Goose 
Rock  (south  of  Niantic),  Waterford  I.  (Niantic  Bay),  Two  Tree 
I.  (Millstone  Point),  Liddy's  I.  and  Rocky  I.  (near  Stonington) 
(Hill).  A  few  formerly  bred  on  Goose  Island.3 


ijob,   The    Sport   of   Bird    Study,   p.    289. 
3  Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    pp.    132-3. 
•Merriam,    Birds   of    Conn.,   p.    133. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  23 

On  the  mainland  also  this  species  occasionally  breeds.  L.  B. 
B.  found  about  twenty-five  pairs  breeding  on  the  salt  marshes 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Hammonasset  River,  Clinton,  June  23,  1904. 
Another  colony  of  a  dozen  pairs  was  found  at  Grove  Beach,  Clin- 
ton, June  16,  1900,  by  Messrs.  J.  B.  Canfield  and  C.  H.  Watrous. 

Nest.  The  eggs  are  either  laid  on  the  sand  of  the  beach  or  in 
hollows  in  the  drift  seaweed  lying  on  the  wet  salt  marsh. 

Eggs,  2  to  5 ;  average  set,  3. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record,  May  25,  1900,  three  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record,  July  24,  1882,  one  egg  (L.  B.  B.). 

In  the  fall  migration  this  tern  is  occasionally  common  in  the 
western  part  of  the  Sound.  Mr.  Hoyt  reported  them  abundant 
at  Stamford  in  August,  1894.  L.  B.  B.  saw  them  in  West  Haven 
as  late  as  Sept.  20,  1889,  and  Sept.  27,  1901. 

Sterna  paradisaea  Brunnich.     Arctic  Tern. 

In  1876  Merriam  recorded  the  Arctic  Tern  as  "  a  rare  visitor 
to  our  shores  ".  The  only  specific  reference  to  its  occurrence  in 
Connecticut  is  from  J.  N.  C.  of  Saybrook,  who  wrote :  "  I  have 
an  undoubted  specimen  in  the  fall  plumage  of  the  young,  taken 
here  last  season  —  never  captured  a  mature  bird."1 

Sterna  dougalli  Montagu.     Roseate  Tern. 

Formerly  an  abundant  summer  resident.  At  present,  very 
rare. 

On  Goose  Island,  about  one  mile  from  Faulkner's  Island,  a 
colony  of  several  hundreds  of  these  birds  was  carefully  protected 
by  Capt.  O.  N.  Brooks,  the  keeper  of  the  Faulkner  Light,  until 
he  resigned  in  1883.  It  is  of  this  colony  that  Merriam  writes: 
"  They  cover  the  rocks,  almost  hiding  them  from  view.  .  .  .  The 
eggs  were  now  hatching  and  thousands  of  downy  young  covered 
the  island."2  This  colony  was  visited  by  L.  B.  B.  in  the  summer  of 
1881,  1882,  and  1883,  when  many  eggs  were  found  and  numerous 
birds  seen,  but  in  1884  not  a  bird  was  to  be  seen  and  the  ground 
was  strewn  with  fresh  or  broken  eggs.  Practically  the  entire 
colony  had  been  killed  by  a  taxidermist  soon  after  the  birds  had 
settled  there  for  the  summer.  A  few  returned  to  the  island  the 
following  year,  when  L.  B.  B.  found  one  nest  with  two  eggs  and 

1  Merriam,   Birds  of   Conn.,   p.    133. 

2  Merriam,   Birds  of   Conn.,   pp.    133-4. 


24  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

four  with  one  egg  each,  but  these  terns  are  no  longer  common 
anywhere  along  the  coast.  The  last  record  is  a  set  of  five  eggs 
from  Goose  Island  in  1888. 

According  to  Hill,  a  few  still  breed  with  the  Common  Terns 
on  the  different  islands,  though  he  has  not  identified  any  eggs  as 
positively  belonging  to  this  species. 

The  Roseate  Tern  was  formerly  common  also  in  Stamford 
Harbor,  though  it  is  not  found  there  now  (Hoyt). 

Sterna  antillarum  (Lesson).     Least  Tern. 

Formerly  common  in  certain  localities  along  the  coast.  No 
recent  records. 

J.  N.  C.  reported  them  as  quite  abundant  at  Saybrook  during 
migrations.1  (This  was  prior  to  1876.)  Linsley  took  it  at  Strat- 
ford.1 They  were  also  formerly  common  at  Stamford  Harbor 
according  to  Hoyt,  but  never  occur  there  at  present. 

Sterna  fuscata  Linnaeus.     Sooty  Tern. 

The  following  records  appear  from  Connecticut:  1876,  Say- 
brook,  picked  up  stunned  by  concussion  with  a  wharf  depot  (in 
coll.  of  J.  N.  C.)  ;2  Sept.,  1876,  two  adults  killed  themselves  by 
flying  against  the  Faulkner  Light  (one  in  coll.  of  Capt.  Brooks)  ;2 
summer,  1876,  specimen  killed  with  a  stone  by  Mr.  E.  Coe,  Stony 
Creek;2  Sept.  20,  1876,  specimen  taken  at  Granby;2  Sept.  16,  1878, 
a  young  male  knocked  down  with  an  oar  in  Stamford  Harbor  (in 
coll.  of  Mr.  Porter)  ;3  Oct.,  1891,  one  found  dead  in  the  woods  at 
Torrington  after  a  severe  storm.* 

Hydrochelidon  nigra  surinamensis  (Gmelin).    Black  Tern. 

A  rare  visitor,  usually  late  in  August. 

Connecticut  records.  Aug.  25,  1891,  Stamford,  a  young  female 
(in  coll.  of  Mr.  Porter)  ;  Aug.  29,  1892,  Little  River  Marshes, 
Middletown,  four,  one  secured  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Aug.  24, 
1893,  Milford,  two  shot;5  Aug.  29,  1893,  Quinnipiac  Marshes, 


1  Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    p.    134. 
aMerriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    pp.    134-5. 
*  Auk,   xii,    i,   p.    86. 

4  Job,    The    Sport    of    Bird    Study,    p.    289. 
8 Forest  &  Stream,  xli,   p.   250. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  25 

New  Haven,  a  flock  of  between  thirty  and  forty,  probably  driven 
from  their  course  by  a  southeast  gale  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  fall,  1899  ( ?), 
Old  Park  Pond,  Winsted,1  one  seen ;  Sept.  6,  1909,  Hammonasset 
Marshes,  Clinton,  one  young  shot  (C.  K.  Hooker,  in  coll.  of  L. 
B.  B.).  Dr.  Merriam  records  it  as  a  rare  visitor,  noting  but  two 
specimens,  one  taken  near  Goose  Island  by  Capt.  Brooks  (about 
1864),  another  shot  late  in  August  at  Milford.2 

Family  RYNCHOPHXE.    Skimmers. 

Rynchops  nigra  Linnaeus.     Black  Skimmer. 

One  was  taken  near  the  Yale  boat-house  in  New  Haven  Har- 
bor about  June  16,  1883,  and  was  identified,  June  18,  by  L.  B.  B. 
Judge  John  N.  Clark  wrote  J.  H.  S.,  Nov.  8,  1894:  "A  Black 
Skimmer  was  killed  here  (Saybrook)  a  few  days  ago." 

Order  TUBINARES.    Tube-nosed  Swimmers. 

Family  PRO  CELL  ART  IDJE.  Fulmars,  Shearwaters,  and  Petrels. 

Subfamily  FULMARINJE.     Fulmars. 

Fulmarus  glacialis  glacialis  (Linnaeus).     Fulmar. 

A  single  bird  of  this  species  was  shot  by  A.  H.  V.  at  the  Thim- 
ble Islands,  Stony  Creek,  Oct.  10,  1909,  and  brought  to  L.  C.  S. 
in  the  flesh.  It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  L.  C.  S.  This  is  the 
only  record  for  Connecticut,  except  the  doubtful  reference  in 
Linsley's  list,  of  which  Merriam  does  not  consider  he  had  sufficient 
proof.3 

Subfamily  PUFFININ^:.     Shearwaters  and  Petrels. 

Puffinus  gravis  (O'Reilly).     Greater  Shearwater. 

According  to  Merriam  (1876),  "not  rare  in  winter  off  the 
coast,  but  generally  keeps  outside  the  Sound."  Linsley  recorded 
it  as  common  about  Stonington.  Merriam  further  notes  that  "  in 
the  Museum  of  Wesleyan  University  at  Middletown  is  the  head  of 
a  bird  of  this  species  which  is  said  to  have  been  killed  at  Granby, 
Conn."4 


ijob,   The   Sport  of   Bird   Study,   p.    290. 

2  Merriam,   Birds  of   Conn.,   p.    135. 

'Merriam,   Birds  of    Conn.,   p.    146. 

4  Merriam,    Birds  of    Conn.,    p.    136. 


26  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Subfamily  PROCELLARIIN.E.     Storm  Petrels. 

Oceanodroma  leucorhoa   (Vieillot).     Leach's  Petrel. 

Pelagic.    Rarely  seen  within  the  limits  of  this  state. 

Connecticut  records.  Oct.  27,  1857,  one  shot  by  Geo.  Meigs 
on  the  Connecticut  River  above  Hartford  ;l  Merriam  also  records 
(1876)  that  he  himself  has  "twice  seen  it  on  the  Sound  in  the 
vicinity  of  Faulkner's  Island,  and  near  New  Haven;"  Sept.  17, 
1903,  a  female  picked  up  in  Middletown,  driven  inland  by  a  terrific 
storm;  Oct.  18,  1904,  a  specimen  killed  in  Portland  (both  the 
latter  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.,  1904,  one  taken  by  Mr.  James 
Truelove  on  Lake  Wononscopomus,  Lakeville  (in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.).  Mr.  .Wm.  Hansen  reports  seeing  a  mounted  bird 
which  was  found  dead  in  Torrington,  Sept.,  I9O2.2 

Subfamily  OCEANITIN^E.    Long-legged  Storm  Petrels. 

Oceanites  oceanicus  (Kuhl).    Wilson's  Petrel. 

We  have  no  specific  records  of  this  species.  Merriam  char- 
acterizes it  as  "not  common;  occurs  off  the  coast  in  summer."3 
Linsley  says  that  he  has  seen  this  species  "  not  only  in  our  Sound, 
but  even  west  of  Stratford."3  Mr.  Holt  of  Lyme  told  W.  E.  T. 
that  this  species  "  occasionally  flies  over  land  and  is  usually  seen 
hovering  over  fern  bushes  "  (J.  H.  S.). 

About  a  dozen  petrels,  almost  certainly  of  this  species,  were 
seen  in  Long  Island  Sound  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  New  Haven 
Harbor,  Aug.  5,  1911,  by  L.  B.  B. ;  and  to  this  species  should  prob- 
ably be  referred  three  petrels  seen  by  Mr.  Edward  Everit  near 
Branford  Beacon,  June  20,  1909. 

Order  STEGANOPODES.     Totipalmate  Swimmers. 
Family  SULID^.     Gannets. 

Sula  leucogastra  (Boddaert).    Booby. 

The  only  record  of  this  species  in  Connecticut  is  one  taken  at 
Guilford  by  Linsley.4  Merriam  refers  to  it  as  "  a  rare  and  acci- 
dental visitor  from  the  South." 


1  Merriam,  Birds     of  Conn.,  pp.    135-6. 

9  Job,    The  Sport   of   Bird    Study,    p.    290. 

'Merriam,  Birds   of   Conn.,   p.    136. 

4  Merriam,  Birds   of   Conn.,    p.    130. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  27 

Sula  bassana  (Linnaeus).     Gannet. 

A  very  rare  winter  visitant.  The  following  references  are 
found  in  Merriam:1  Capt.  Brooks  of  Faulkner's  Island  has  seen 
two  of  this  species,  one  of  which  "  was  killed  at  Guilford  in  the 
spring  about  ten  years  ago  "  (i.  e.,  about  1866),  and  is  now  in  his 
collection.  Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford  (now  in  Peabody 
Museum).  Both  these  birds  are  in  juvenile  plumage.  Mr. 
Robert  Morris  saw  an  adult  specimen  shot  off  Branford  late  in 
the  fall  of  1872  or  1873. 

Family  PHALACROCORACID^E.     Cormorants. 

Phalacrocorax  carbo   (Linnaeus).     Cormorant. 

A  very  rare  fall  migrant  on  the  Sound.  Formerly  a  "  tolerably 
common  winter  visitant."  2 

Capt.  Brooks  wrote  Merriam  that  they  were  plentiful  in  April 
and  May,  and  were  sometimes  seen  in  the  fall.  Linsley  took  this 
species  at  Stonington. 

The  only  recent  record  is  that  of  a  young  bird  shot  at  Branford, 
Nov.  22,  1904.  It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  L.  C.  S. 

Phalacrocorax  auritus  auritus  (Lesson).  Double-crested 
Cormorant. 

A  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant  on  the  Sound,  though  appar- 
ently more  common  than  P.  carbo;  very  rare  inland. 

Spring  records.  Linsley  records  a  specimen  from  Stratford 
which  is  in  nuptial  plumage  (in  coll.  of  Bridgeport  Hist.  Soc.)  ; 
May,  1876,  Capt.  Brooks  saw  "  large  flocks  of  them  feeding  about 
Faulkner's  Island  "  ;*  April  30,  1888,  one  taken  at  Branford  by 
W.  H.  Gardner  (now  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  June  8,  1892,  three 
seen  at  the  mouth  of  Connecticut  River  by  J.  H.  S.;  April  29, 
1896,  one  from  a  flock  of  six  taken  at  New  Haven  (seen  in  the 
flesh  by  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  7,  1891,  Guilford  (H.  W.  R,  now  in  coll. 
of  Wm.  Brewster) . 

Fall  records.  Oct.  29,  1875,  one  killed  in  Connecticut  River 
at  Portland  (in  coll.  of  W.  W.  C.)  ;  Oct.,  1879,  one  shot  at  Bolton 
(in  coll.  of  W.  W.)  ;  Nov.  10,  1883,  a  small  flock  seen  off  Guilford 


1  Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    p.    129. 
3  Merriam,    Birds   of   Conn.,   p.    130. 


28  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

by  L.  B.  B. ;  Oct.  23,  1890,  one  adult  seen  at  Little  River  Marshes, 
Middletown,  by  W.  E.  T.  and  S.  R. ;  Nov.  2,  1890,  one  seen  at 
Hartford  by  W.  E.  T. ;  Sept.  25,  1904,  a  flock  seen  on  the  beacon 
in  Branford  Harbor  by  G.  E.  V. ;  Oct.  17,  1908,  a  young  male  shot 
at  Double  Beach,  Branford,  by  C.  R.  Hooker  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Summer  record.    July  18,  1906,  Madison,  two  seen  (A.  A.  S.). 

Inland  records.  Portland,  Oct.  29,  1875  (see  above)  ;  Bolton, 
Oct.,  1879  (see  above)  ;  Middletown,  Oct.  23,  1890  (see  above)  ; 
Hartford,  Nov.  2,  1890  (see  above). 

Family  PELECANID^.     Pelicans. 

Pelecanus  occidentalis  Linnaeus.     Brown  Pelican. 

The  only  record  of  the  Brown  Pelican  in  Connecticut  is  that  of 
an  apparently  uninjured  specimen  caught  alive  off  Guilford  Har- 
bor, June  6,  1902,  by  Mr.  Levi  Thrall,  who  reported  that  it  seemed 
unable  to  fly  far,  so  that  he  easily  caught  it  by  chasing  it  in  a  row- 
boat.  L.  B.  B.  saw  it  in  the  flesh.  It  is  at  present  in  the  collection 
of  L.  C.  S. 

Family  FREGATIML     Man-o'-war-birds. 

Fregata  aquila  (Linnaeus).    Man-o' -war-bird. 

The  only  record  of  this  species  in  Connecticut  (noted  both  in 
the  American  Naturalist  and  in  Merriam's  Birds  of  Connecticut)  ,* 
is  that  of  Capt.  Brooks,  who  killed  a  female  on  Faulkner's  Island 
in  the  autumn  of  1859,  while  it  was  hovering  over  the  island.  It 
is  still  in  the  collection  of  Capt.  Brooks  (L.  B.  B.). 

Order  ANSERES.    Lamellirostral  Swimmers. 
Family  ANATID^E.     Ducks,  Geese,  and  Swans. 

Subfamily  MERGING.     Mergansers. 
Mergus  americanus  Cassin.     Merganser. 
A  tolerably  common  winter  resident  from  December  to  Feb- 
ruary, frequenting  fresh-water  lakes  and  inland  waterways. 

Earliest  record.  (Coast)  Clinton,  Dec.  2,  1898;  (Inland) 
Portland,  Dec.  3,  1888. 

Latest  record.  (Coast)  Stamford,  Feb.  25,  1898;  (Inland) 
Portland,  April  23,  1904.  (J.  H.  S.  records  this  species  at  Port- 
land as  late  as  April,  in  1875,  1887,  1899,  1904,  and  1909.) 

i  Merriam,   Birds   of   Conn.,   p.    131. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2Q 

Unusual  records.    June  26,  1888,  Portland  (J.  L.  Goff)  ;  July 

31,  1879,  Portland  (J.  H.  SO- 
IL K.  J.  reports  the  Merganser  as  a  fairly  common  migrant 

and  winter  resident  in  Litchfield  County  between  November  and 

April.1 

Mergus  serrator  Linnaeus.     Red-breasted  Merganser. 
A  rather  common  winter  resident  on  the  Sound  from  Novem- 
ber to  March ;  occasional  inland. 

Earliest  record.     New  Haven,  Oct.  21,  1882. 

Latest  record.    New  Haven,  April  4,  1895. 

Inland  record.    Portland,  Nov.  9,  1884  (in  coll.  of  W.  W.  C.). 

Lophodytes  cucullatus  (Linnaeus).     Hooded  Merganser. 

A  rare  and  irregular  spring  and  fall  migrant. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  Portland,  March  6,  1876. 
Latest  record.  Portland,  April  I,  1899. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  Litchfield,  Sept.  15,  1905 
(L.  S.  W.).  Latest  record.  Portland,  Dec.  5,  1887. 

Several  specimens  of  the  Hooded  Merganser  have  been  shot 
in  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes  (North  Haven)  and  in  Lake  Saltonstall 
(East  Haven)  ;  viz.,  Jan.  9,  1883,  one  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Oct.,  1885,  three 
young  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Nov.  14,  1904,  two  young  (A.  J.  G.)  ;  March, 
1904,  one  (A.  J.  GO  ;  March,  1904,  several  (Devine)  ;  March  20, 
1907,  two  (Uhl)  ;  Nov.  11-13,  1908,  seven  (Haines,  in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  BO- 

H.  K.  J.  reports  that  Mr.  C.  H.  Williams  "  saw  a  female  with 
young  in  Winchester  about  fifteen  years  ago"  (c.  1893).* 

Dr.  William  Wood  of  East  Windsor  Hill  wrote  in  1880:  "  It 
is  not  common  here,  yet  some  seasons  I  get  half  a  dozen  or  more, 
and  then  several  seasons  may  intervene  before  another  is 
captured."2 

There  is  a  male  of  this  species  in  the  collection  of  J.  M.  W. 
shot  on  a  pond  in  Canterbury  late  in  October,  i88o.3  Mr.  J.  Y. 
Stetson  of  New  Haven  has  an  adult  male  which  he  shot  from  a 
pair  at  Neversink  Lake,  Danbury,  late  in  March,  about  1885. 

%     ijob,   The    Sport   of  Bird   Study,   p.    290. 
a  O.  and  O.,  v,   12,  p.   93. 
3  O.   and  O.,  v,    10,  p.   78. 


3O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Subfamily  ANATIN^E.     River  Ducks. 

Anas  platyrhynchos  Linnaeus.     Mallard. 

Formerly  a  rare  fall  migrant  on  the  coast,  but  much  more  com- 
mon in  recent  years ;  occasionally  a  winter  resident. 

Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  Oct.  25,  1904. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Jan.,  1897,  and  1899  (L.  C.  S.)  ; 
Clinton,  March  27,  1889  (J.  F.  Parker). 

This  species  probably  occurs  regularly  on  the  Quinnipiac 
Marshes  and  Lake  Saltonstall  (where  L.  B.  B.  and  others  have 
obtained  many  records),  as  well  as  along  the  Connecticut  River. 

Merriam1  characterizes  the  Mallard  as  a  "  rare  migrant."  He 
notes  their  occurrence  Sept.  30,  Oct.,  and  Nov.  13,  1875,  and  the 
observations  of  Grinnell  in  October  and  November,  1876.  Mr. 
Hoyt  states  one  was  taken  in  Stamford  in  the  fall  of  1879.  C.  M. 
Jones  of  Eastford  records2  a  pair  shot  in  Eastford,  Oct.  30,  1882, 
adding  that  it  "  is  the  first  time  I  have  ever  known  of  this  species 
occurring  here."  The  first  records  for  New  Haven  were  November 
5,  1883,  when  L.  B.  B.  reported  three  taken  in  the  Quinnipiac 
Marshes,  and  Aug.  4,  1886,  when  E.  L.  Munson3  took  an  adult 
male  at  the  same  locality.  However,  since  that  time  the  Mallards 
have  been  increasing,  so  that  recent  records  are  quite  numerous 
for  this  species  in  Connecticut. 

Judge  Clark  reported  an  unusual  flight  at  Saybrook  in  the 
winter  of  1901-2,  saying  he  had  seen  more  that  winter  than  in  the 
rest  of  his  life. 

Anas  rubripes  Brewster.     Black  Duck. 

A  common  fall  and  tolerably  common  spring  migrant  and 
winter  resident ;  rare  summer  resident. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record,  Portland,  March  10, 
1878.  Latest  record,  New  Haven,  June  27,  1884;  Portland,  May 
n,  1908. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record,  New  Haven,  Sept.  16,  1904; 
Portland,  Sept.  14,  1877.  Latest  record,  Portland,  Nov.  8,  1892. 

Winter  records.  Portland,  Dec.  9,  1896,  Jan.  2,  1906.  Win- 
ters at  New  Haven. 


1  Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    p.    123. 
3O.   and   O.,  viii,   4,   p.    32. 
*O.   and   O.,   xii,   g,   p.    156. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  31 

Nest.  Eggs  laid  on  bank  of  a  stream,  in  a  meadow,  or  in  a 
thicket,  some  distance  from  the  water. 

Eggs.     Usually  9  (n). 

Breeding  records.  May  12,  1898,  nine  eggs,  and  June  8,  1899, 
nine  eggs,  New  London  (Hill)  ;  May  20,  1901,  eleven  eggs,  Kent 
(H.  K.  J.)  ;  April  22,  1904,  five  eggs,  incomplete,  Kent  (Austin). 
At  Saybrook  Judge  Clark  found  two  nests  of  this  duck. 

Fall  migrants  reached  Litchfield  on  Sept.  7,  1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Chaulelasmus  streperus  (Linnaeus).       Gadwall. 

Very  rare. 

Merriam1  states  that  it  occurs  during  migrations,  though  not 
common  (1876).  At  that  time  Capt.  Brooks  wrote  Merriam  that 
these  birds  were  "  occasionally  seen "  about  Faulkner's  Island. 
Linsley  wrote  that  "  flocks  of  the  Gray  Duck  were  here  as  early  as 
August  last  season"  (1842).  One  was  shot  at  East  Hartford, 
Nov.  5,  1883  (W.  E.  T.). 

The  only  recent  records  are  those  of  H.  K.  J.,  who  heard  of 
two  being  shot  at  Twin  Lakes  about  the  middle  of  November, 
I907,2  and  states  that  Mr.  W.  A.  Miles  has  killed  others  there; 
and  the  two  young  males  taken  on  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes 
(North  Haven),  Oct.  12,  1912,  by  A.  and  W.  Ganung  (in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.). 

Mareca  americana  (Gmelin).     Baldpate. 

A  rare  winter  resident  on  the  Sound  from  October  to  March. 

Earliest  record.  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  New  Haven,  Oct.  n, 
1909  (A.  Ganung). 

Latest  record.    Clinton,  March  27,  1899  (J.  F.  Parker). 

Inland  records.  Hamden,  Oct.  16,  1880  (Woolsey,  in  coll.  of 
Peabody  Museum)  ;  Middletown,  fall,  1882,  five  out  of  a  flock 
of  seven  killed  by  J.  Taylor  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April,  1883,  a 
male  shot  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  23,  1888,  a  female  shot  by 
J.  L.  Goff  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Bantam  Lake,  Litchfield,  one 
shot  Oct.  20,  1904,  and  another,  Oct.  20,  1905,  by  H.  Sanford 
(E.  S.  W.). 


1  Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    p.    124. 

3 Job,    The    Sport    of    Bird    Study,    p.    291. 


32  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Besides  these  records  a  number  of  birds  have  been  taken  at 
Lake  Saltonstall  and  in  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  the  majority  of 
which  are  in  the  collections  of  L.  C.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.,  in  addition 
to  a  few  birds  taken  at  Branford,  Clinton,  and  Stony  Creek. 

Merriam1  mentions  this  species  as  "  not  particularly  rare  dur- 
ing the  migrations."  It  was  taken  by  Linsley  at  Stratford,  and 
one  by  Dr.  Wood  at  East  Windsor  Hill. 

Nettion  crecca  (Linnaeus).     European  Teal. 

Very  rare  in  North  America.  The  only  Connecticut  reference 
is  furnished  by  W.  E.  T.  of  East  Hartford,  who  received  from  a 
resident  gunner  a  fine  adult  male,  shot  Nov.  14,  1889,  while  flying 
with  another,  apparently  of  the  same  species,  over  an  open  field. 
It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  J.  H.  S.2 

Nettion  carolinense  (Gmelin).     Green-winged  Teal. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  and  rare  spring  migrant,  and  a  rare 
winter  resident. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  3,  1886; 
Portland,  Sept.  27,  1903;  Litchfield,  Sept.  8,  1906  (E.  S.  W.). 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  16,  1883;  Portland,  Nov.  27, 
1896. 

Spring  records.  April  8,  1874,  and  April  6,  1887,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.)  ;  March  21,  1896,  Stony  Creek  (E.  M.  Cooper,  in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  March  8,  1899,  Clinton  (J.  F.  Parker,  in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.)  ;  "  Have  seen  it  in  March  "  (Merriam).1 

Winter  record.  Jan.  14,  1902,  one  taken  in  Branford  Harbor 
by  Mr.  J.  Lanfear  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.). 

Querquedula  discors  (Linnaeus).     Blue- winged  Teal. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  and  rare  spring  migrant. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  i,  1886; 
Portland,  Sept.  8,  1897.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  20, 
1896;  Portland,  Oct.  17,  1874. 

Spring  records.  April  14,  1896,  Quinnipiac  Marshes  (A.  R. 
Andrews,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  April  9,  1902,  Portland;  April  27, 
1905,  West  Haven  (W.  L.  Ganung,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 


i  Merriam,    Birds    of    Conn.,    p.    124. 
aW.  E.  Treat,  Auk,  viii,  i,  p.   112. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  33 

Unusual  record.  July  26,  1890,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  seen  by 
Prof.  C.  C.  Trowbridge  and  L.  C.  S. 

Spatula  clypeata  (Linnaeus).     Shoveller. 

A  very  rare  migrant  along  the  coast. 

Connecticut  records.  March  20,  1854,  two  full-plumaged  males 
taken  at  Lyme  by  Horace  Champion  (formerly  in  coll.  of  J.  C. 
Comstock)  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dec.  8,  1874,  specimen  shot  by  Mr.  Pease 
at  Saybrook  (in  coll.  of  W.  W.  C.)  ;  Oct.  8,  1875,  two  or  three, 
near  Milford  (Grinnell)  j1  Oct.  29,  1886,  four  taken  in  West 
Haven  (formerly  in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Nov.  27-30,  1893,  a  flock 
frequented  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes  (A.  R.  Andrews  and  E. 
Mitchell)  ;  Oct.,  1894,  one  taken  in  Stamford  (in  coll.  of  Hoyt). 
Linsley  obtained  two  males  at  Stratford1  (in  Linsley  Coll.  of  Bpt. 
Sci.  Soc.)  ;  has  been  taken  at  Twin  Lakes  (Miles).2 

Dafila  acuta  (Linnaeus).     Pintail. 

A  rare  straggler  in  the  fall. 

Coast  records.  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  one,  Sept.  26,  1883  (in 
coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  flock  of  seven,  Sept.  28,  1907  (J.  Y.  Stetson)  ; 
two,  Oct.  23,  1909  (A.  Ganung,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  West  Haven, 
Oct.  13,  1906,  seven  seen  (A.  Ganung,  one  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
one,  Oct.  22,  1906  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Stratford,  Nov.  10,  1889  (in  coll. 
of  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.)  ;  Stamford,  about  1890  (Schaler) ;  Stratford, 
(Linsley);3  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C.),  not  particularly  rare,  (i876).3 

Inland  records.  East  Windsor  Hill,  two  (in  coll.  of  Dr.  Wood, 
1876)  ;3  Portland,  Oct.  9,  1890,  a  young  male  killed  (Parkinson, 
in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Middletown,  Oct.  12,  1891,  four  seen,  one 
shot  (W.  E.  T.  and  S.  R.,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.) ;  Oct.  18,  1893,  four 
seen  by  same;  Essex,  Jan.  22,  1894,  fifteen  seen,  two  shot  (in 
coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Torrington,  Oct.  25,  1907,  one  shot  (Hanson)  ;2 
Twin  Lakes  (Miles).2 

Aix  sponsa  (Linnaeus).     Wood  Duck. 
A  summer  resident,  breeding  throughout  the  state  but  becom- 
ing more  rare  each  year. 


iMerriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.   124-5. 

9  Job,   The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,   p.   291. 

8  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   123. 

3 


34  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  21,  1884;  Portland, 
March  20,  1879. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  17,  1883 ;  Portland,  Dec.  3, 
1888. 

Nest.  Usually  located  in  a  hollow  tree  at  a  height  of  from 
eight  to  thirty  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     Nine  or  ten ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  14,  1900  (H.  K.  J.). 
Latest  record.  July  2,  1904  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Breeding  records,  c.  May  28,  1875,  Portland,  nest  with  14 
e£gs  (J-  H.  S.)  ;  May  24,  1885,  Hamden,  nest  with  9  eggs  (R. 
Morley)  ;  June  18,  1891,  Chester,  a  set  of  10  eggs  (Watrous,  in 
coll.  of  H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  14,  1900,  Kent,  10  eggs  in  a  hay-loft  of 
an  old  barn  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  May,  1901,  East  Lyme,  nest  with  9  eggs 
(Way)  ;  July  2,  1904,  Litchfield,  nest  with  10  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Subfamily  FULIGULIN^E.     Sea  Ducks. 

Marila  americana   (Eyton).     Redhead. 

A  very  rare  bird  until  recent  years,  when  it  seems  to  have 
occurred  quite  regularly  as  a  winter  visitant. 

Merriam1  refers  to  this  bird  as  "  rare,"  noting  that  it  has  been 
taken  at  Westbrook  (prior  to  1876).  Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford. 
At  Stamford  it  has  been  seen  frequently  in  the  Sound,  and  one 
was  taken  in  the  winter  of  1886  (W.  H.  H.).  The  next  record  is 
that  of  Mr.  Holt  of  Saybrook,  who  says  he  shot  twenty-eight  in 
1889,  while  he  later  records  two  or  three  flocks  there,  Oct.  19, 
1893.  Four  were  taken  at  Lake  Saltonstall,  Dec.  20,  1897,  by 
A.  J.  G.,  and  one  at  Stratford,  Dec.,  1897,  by  J.  Locke. 

However,  since  1902,  the  species  has  become  more  common, 
and  we  have  records  from  Branford,  Dec.,  1901,  Jan.  6,  Nov.  15, 
1902,  March,  1904  (L.  C.  S.),  and  Jan.  i,  1901  (Locke)  ;  Lake 
Saltonstall,  East  Haven,  Oct.  25,  1902,  Dec.  22,  1903  (A.  J.  G.), 
April  3,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  West  Haven,  April  2,  1910  (H.  K.  J.)  ; 
Litchfield,  Nov.  3,  6,  1905  (H.  Sanford)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  29,  1903, 
Oct.  16,  1906,  Nov.  26,  1907,  Nov.  26,  1909  (J.  H.  S.). 

Marila   valisineria    (Wilson).     Canvas -back. 
A  very  rare  accidental  winter  visitor. 


» Merriam,  Birds  cf  Conn.,  p.  125. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  35 

Connecticut  records.  1876,  Merriam1  records  this  species  as 
"  rare " ;  May  7,  1876,  one  seen  by  R.  Morris  in  New 
Haven  ( ?)  f  J.  H.  Hand  reports  it  "  very  rare  "  at  Westbrook, 
1876  ;*  Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford  j1  March  20,  1887,  a  flock  re- 
ported seen  at  Lake  Saltonstall  by  Mr.  Folsom;  1889, 
two  reported  killed  at  Saybrook  by  Mr.  Jas.  Holt;  fall, 
1894,  one  reported  taken  at  Stony  Creek  by  E.  M.  Cooper  (  ?)  ; 
Nov.,  1896,  one  shot  from  a  flock  at  Twin  Lakes  by  W.  A. 
Miles;2  Jan.,  1902,  two  males  taken  at  Lake  Saltonstall  by  A. 
J.  G.  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  April  i,  1904,  one  male  taken  at 
North  Branford  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.). 

Marila  marila  (Linnaeus).     Scaup  Duck. 

A  common  winter  resident  on  the  Sound,  most  abundant  in 
November  and  March.  Rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.     New   Haven,   Sept.   5,    1886. 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  May  23,   1902. 

Inland  records.  Portland,  Oct.  n,  1888,  a  young  male  shot 
in  Connecticut  River  by  J.  L.  Goff  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Port- 
land, Dec.  14,  1888,  a  female  shot  by  Goff;  Litchfield,  Nov.  3, 
1905,  one  shot  by  H.  Sanford  (E.  S.  W.). 

Unusual  date.  July  21,  1882,  one  "  pensioner "  taken  at 
Stony  Creek  by  L.  C.  S. 

Marila  affinis   (Eyton).     Lesser  Scaup  Duck. 

A  tolerably  common  winter  resident  on  the  Sound,  associat- 
ing with  M.  marila,  and  most  frequently  taken  in  November  and 
March.  Less  common  inland. 

Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  Oct.  20,  1902. 

Latest  record.  Unusual  date.  July  14,  1904,  Quinnipiac 
Marshes,  New  Haven,  a  non-breeding  adult  male  in  worn 
plumage  taken  by  L.  B.  B.  New  Haven,  March  26,  1895. 

Inland  records.  East  Hartford,  April  26,  1889,  Oct.  8,  1888 
(W.  E.  T.)  ;  Middletown,  Little  River  Marshes,  one  seen  Oct. 
23,  1890,  by  W.  E.  T.  and  S.  R.,  a  female  seen  there  also  by  J. 
H.  S.,  June  10,  1905,  and  a  male,  June  17,  1905 ;  Portland,  Job's 
Pond,  one  shot  July  9,  1895  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Litchfield,  Oct. 


1  Merriam,   Birds    of    Conn.,   p.    126. 

2  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  292. 


36  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

19,  1907,  one  shot  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  one  killed  in  the  vicinity  of  East 
Windsor  Hill  by  Dr.  Wm.  Wood  (no  date  given).1 

Marila  collaris   (Donovan).     Ring-necked  Duck. 

A  rare  accidental  winter  visitor. 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam1  records  that  Linsley  took  it 
at  Stratford,  and  also  that  "  G.  B.  Grinnell  has  secured  several 
specimens  in  the  vicinity  of  Milford  ";  April  10,  1883,  East  Hart- 
ford, adult  male  shot  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  Dec.  19,  1885,  New  Haven, 
adult  male  secured  by  C.  R.  Hooker  (formerly  in  coll.  of  L.  C. 
S.)  ;  Oct.  26,  1887,  Little  River  Marshes,  Middletown,  female  shot 
by  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  in  company  with  J.  H.  S.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Oct.  3,  1889,  East  Hartford,  female  shot  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  April  9, 
1895,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  New  Haven,  adult  male  taken  by 
R.  G.  Van  Name  (in  coll.  of  H.  W.  F.)  ;  Jan.  7,  1898,  Lake 
Saltonstall,  young  male  taken  by  A.  J.  G.  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Clangula  clangula  americana  Bonaparte.     Golden-eye. 

A  tolerably  common  winter  resident,  especially  along  the 
coast,  from  December  to  March. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  19,  1904,  Nov.  17,  1905 
(E.  S.  W.);  Portland,  Oct.  29,  1898;  Litchfield,  Oct.  30,  1905 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  March  30,  1882,  April  12,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  20,  1888. 

Clangula  islandica   (Gmelin).     Barrow's  Golden-eye. 

The  only  records  for  this  state  are:  (i)  that  of  A.  J.  G., 
who  is  well  acquainted  with  the  American  Golden-eye,  and  who 
is  positive  that  he  took  two  males  of  this  species  at  Lake  Salton- 
stall, East  Haven,  Dec.  25,  1883  (unfortunately  these  birds  were 
not  preserved)  ;  (2),  a  typical  male  adult  specimen  in  the  col- 
lection of  J.  H.  S.,  which  was  purchased  by  him  in  the  flesh, 
Nov.  14,  1867,  from  a  man  who  said  it  was  killed  in  the  Sound, 
and  whose  statement  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  for  doubting.2 

Charitonetta  albeola   (Linnaeus).     Buffle-head. 

Formerly  an  abundant  winter  resident  on  the  Sound  and  tidal 


i  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  125. 
9  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   126. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  37 

creeks  from  December  to  February;  also  formerly  common  in- 
land, especially  during  March.  Now  not  more  than  tolerably 
common. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  26,  1884,  Nov.  2,  1888 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  25,  1890;  Bantam  Lake,  Litchfield, 
Oct.  23,  1905  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  H.  Sanford  reports  them  on  same  date 
from  same  locality.1 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Feb.  13,  1894,  April  10,  1882 
(A.  H.  Baldwin)  ;  Portland,  April  26,  1887. 

Unusual  record.  July  14,  1858,  Lyme,  female  taken  by  R. 
Champion  reported  in  MS.  Journal  of  Jno.  C.  Comstock 
(J.H.  S.). 

Harelda  hyemalis  (Linnaeus).     Old-squaw. 

An  abundant  winter  resident  on  the  Sound  from  November 
to  April.  Less  common,  if  not  rather  rare,  inland. 

Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  Oct.  24,  1895. 

Latest  record.    New  Haven,  May  21,  1888. 

Inland  records.  Portland,  Nov.  6,  1888,  Oct.  15,  1890,  March 
23,  1894,  Oct.  18,  1897,  Oct.  14,  1905 ;  Litchfield,  Oct.  19,  1907, 
one  taken  (E.  S.  W.). 

'  Summer  records.  June  17,  1896,  an  adult  male  in  nuptial 
dress,  prevented  from  going  north  by  an  old  fracture  of  the  wing, 
taken  at  New  Haven  by  A.  R.  Andrews  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Woodmont,  Aug.  2-4,  1906,  three  seen  (A.  A.  S.). 

Breeding  record.  A  pair  with  young  was  seen  near  Little 
Gull  Island  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  Sound  in  the  summer  of 
1886  by  L.  C.  S.  Mr.  Grinnell  in  Merriam's  Birds  of  Connecti- 
cut2 notes  that  they  occasionally  breed  here,  though  probably 
these  are  "  pensioners." 

Histrionicus  histrionicus  (Linnaeus.)     Harlequin  Duck. 

The  only  record  for  this  state  appears  in  Job,  The  Sport  of 
Bird  Study :  "Mr.  Williams  examined  a  male  (Histrionicus 
histrionicus)  in  full  plumage  shot  by  Matthew  Parsons  on  Old 
Park  Lake,  Winsted,  in  October,  seven  or  eight  years  ago  "* 
(1900  or  1901). 

Camptorhynchus  labradorius  (Gmelin).     Labrador  Duck 


i  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  292. 
'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   127. 


3^  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

The  only  references  to  this  species  appear  in  a  paragraph  in 
Merriam :  "  A  very  rare  winter  visitor.  Linsley  took  it  at  Strat- 
ford, Conn.  Pennant,  in  his  Arctic  Zoology,  says  that  this  species 
was  'sent  from  Connecticut  to  Mrs.  Blackburn  in  England.' 
Arctic  Zoology,  vol.  ii,  p.  559,  1785. "x 

Somateria  dresseri  Sharpe.     Eider. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  states  that  one  or  two  Eider 
Ducks  were  killed  at  Stratford  by  Mr.  Lucius  Curtis.1  Grinnell 
informed  Merriam  that  he  had  seen  a  specimen  killed  on  the 
Sound  near  Milford,  May  29,  1877,  and  that  two,  probably  of  this 
species,  were  shot  there  in  the  fall  of  I874.1  Branford,  Dec.  2, 
1879,  two  shot,  one  in  coll.  of  Dr.  Fred.  Sumner  Smith  of  Ches- 
ter (J.  H.  S.). 

Mr.  Alanson  Ganung  shot  a  young  male,  Dec.  20,  1909,  off 
West  Haven.  It  is  now  in  the  collection  of  L.  B.  B.  This  is  the 
only  recent  record  for  this  state. 

Somateria  spectabilis  (Linnaeus).    King  Eider. 

A  rare  winter  straggler  in  the  Sound. 

Connecticut  records.  Nov.  4,  1883,  an  adult  female  taken 
near  Milford  by  E.  L.  Munson2  (now  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov. 
17,  1886,  one  shot  at  Portland  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  22,  1890, 
a  female  found  in  the  bag  of  some  sportsmen  at  Stony  Creek  by 
A.  E.  V.  (now  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  Nov.  n,  1893,  one  received 
by  J.  H.  S.  from  Mr.  Henry  Noyes  of  Lyme;  Nov.,  1900,  a 
female  taken  near  New  Haven  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  winter, 
1902-3,  a  female  taken  in  New  Haven  Harbor  by  A.  Ganung; 
Nov.  14,  1904,  an  adult  male  positively  identified  at  Branford 
by  L.  C.  S. ;  Oct.  26,  male,  Nov.  14,  1907,  female,  taken  at 
Stratford  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)*  Nov.  2,  1908,  two  young  shot 
at  Stratford;  Nov.  4,  1908,  a  young  male  shot  at  New  Haven  by 
W.  Ganung  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.).  Linsley  also  records  obtain- 
ing two  specimens  at  Stratford.  C.  L.  Rawson  states  that  a 
stuffed  specimen  is  in  Noank,  shot  off  Groton  Long  Point  in  the 
winter  of  i884.3 

Oidemia  americana  Swainson.     Scoter. 


1  Merriam,   Birds  of   Conn.,  p.    127. 
8  O.  and  O.,  xii,  9,  p.  156. 
•0.  and  O.,  x,  5,  p.  74. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  39 

A  rare  fall  migrant  on  the  Sound ;  very  rare  along  the  inland 
waterways. 

Coast  records.  Linsley  records  it  from  Stratford,  and  Mer- 
riam1  calls  it  a  "  tolerably  common  winter  resident,"  having 
seen  it  as  early  as  Oct.  4,  1876.  Oct.,  1879,  New  Haven-  Harbor, 
one  female  collected  by  Dr.  G.  Woolsey  (in  Peabody  Museum)  ; 
April  23,  1889,  Stony  Creek,  one  seen  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.,  1900, 
Branford,  male  taken  by  L.  C.  S.  (in  coll  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  22, 
1902,  Branford,  male  taken  by  L.  C,  S. ;  Oct.  24,  1906,  Stony 
Creek,  young  bird  shot  by  A.  H.  V.  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct. 
4,  1909,  West  Haven,  two  males  taken  by  A.  Ganung  (in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.). 

Inland  records.  Oct.  9,  1888,  Portland,  seventeen  of  a  flock 
of  thirty  shot  by  J.  L.  Goff  (seven  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  21, 
1890,  Portland,  flock  of  twenty-five  seen  (five  in  coll.  of  J.  H. 
S.)  ;  Oct.  2,  1893,  Portland,  one  seen  by  W.  E.  T.;  Oct.  16,  1899, 
Middletown,  two  shot  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  19,  1900,  Port- 
land, two  shot. 

Spring  record.  April  23,  1889,  Stony  Creek,  one  seen  by 
J.  H.  S. 

Oidemia  deglandi  Bonaparte.    White-winged  Scoter. 

A  common  winter  resident  on  the  Sound,  especially  abundant 
in  October  and  November,  March  and  April.  Not  usually  com- 
mon inland. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  13,  1883;  Portland,  Oct. 
4,  1895. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  21,  1888;  Sachem's  Head, 
June  8,  1892  (J.  H.  S.). 

Inland  records.  Oct.  19,  1881,  Eastford,  female  shot  (in 
coll.  of  C.  M.  Jones)  ;2  Oct.  4,  1895,  Portland,  about  seventy-five 
seen  in  Connecticut  River  by  S.  R. ;  Oct.  12,  1895,  Portland, 
adult  male  shot  in  Connecticut  River  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct. 
1 6,  1900,  Portland,  one  killed  by  C.  E.  Lincoln;  Oct.  20,  30,  Nov. 
3,  6,  1905,  Oct.  n,  28,  1907,  common  at  Bantam  Lake,  Litchfield 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Unusual  record.    Aug.  30,  1906,  Pine  Orchard  (A.  A.  S.). 


Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   127. 
O.  and  O.,  viii,  4,  p.  32. 


4O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Oidemia  perspicillata  (Linnaeus).     Surf  Scoter. 

A  common  winter  resident  on  the  Sound,  though  not  as  com- 
mon as  O.  deglandi,  except  in  November.  Rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.     New  Haven,  Oct.  13,  1893. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  19,  1904;  Stony  Creek, 
April  23,  1889  (J.  H.  S.). 

Inland  record.  Oct.  15,  1890,  female  shot  at  Portland  by 
J.  L.  Goff  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Merriam1  records  one  on  the  Sound  as  late  as  June  29,  1877. 

Erismatura  jamaicensis   (Gmelin).     Ruddy  Duck. 

Formerly  a  fairly  common  fall  migrant  on  the  Sound  and 
larger  lakes;  now  rare.  Very  rare  in  the  spring. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  24,  1885 ;  Oct.  14,  1908 
(P.  B.  Haines). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  i,  1882;  Portland,  Nov.  12, 
1889;  Litchfield,  Dec.  i,  1906  (E.  S.  W.). 

Spring  records.  March  19,  1889,  East  Hartford,  five  seen 
(W.  E.  T.)  ;  June  5,  1893,  Portland,  three  of  a  flock  of  five  killed 
in  Connecticut  River  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Recent  records.  Since  1896  we  have  the  following  records 
only:  Oct.  25,  1904,  North  Haven,  a  young  female  taken  by 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Farnham  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  E.  S.  W.  reported  them 
common  on  Bantam  Lake,  Litchfield,  from  Oct.  9  to  Nov.  u, 
1905,  also  Nov.  24,  1906,  and  Oct.  11-28,  1907;  E.  S.  W.  shot 
one,  Dec.  i,  1906;  Oct.  14,  1908,  a  young  male  shot  at  North 
Haven  by  P.  B.  Haines  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  April  13,  1906, 
Lake  Saltonstall  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Oct.  5,  1907,  Lake  Burton  (A. 
A.  S.). 

Subfamily  ANSERINE.     Geese. 

Chen  hyperboreus  nivalis  (J.  R.  Forster).  Greater  Snow 
Goose. 

An  extremely  rare  winter  visitor. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  records  seven  specimens  of 
Snow  Geese  from  Stratford ;  Merriam2  reports  a  specimen  in  the 
possession  of  W.  W.  C,  which  had  been  killed  near  Saybrook  in 


i  Men-Jam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   128. 
'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   121. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  41 

the  fall  of  1875 ;  E.  H.  Austin  informs  us  that  three  Snow  Geese, 
undoubtedly  of  this  species,  spent  the  winter  of  1868-9  at  Strat- 
ford; Nov.  20,  1884,  Portland,  one  adult  male  taken  (in  coll.  of 
J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  3,  1893,  L.  H.  Porter  purchased  two  adults  and 
two  young  in  Fulton  Market,  New  York  City,  where  they  had 
been  sent  a  few  days  before  from  Stratford. 

On  the  death  of  Dr.  W.  H.  Hotchkiss  of  New  Haven  in  1907, 
there  was  found  among  his  effects  the  head  of  an  adult  male  of 
this  species,  mounted.  Dr.  H.  had  previously  informed  L.  B.  B. 
that  all  of  his  collection  had  been  taken  in  Connecticut  about 
1878,  so  that  this  Snow  Goose  was  in  all  probability  killed  in  this 
state. 

Branta  canadensis  canadensis  (Linnaeus).     Canada  Goose. 

A  common  late  fall  and  early  spring  migrant.    Winters  rarely. 

Fall  migration.  Average,  Oct.  15  —  Dec.  15.  Earliest  rec- 
ord. New  Haven,  Sept.  n,  1883;  Portland,  Oct.  13,  1886. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  28,  1909  (Merrill)  ;  Port- 
land, Dec.  15,  1891. 

Spring  migration.  Average,  March  15 — April  25.  Earliest 
record.  New  Haven,  March  20,  1888;  Portland,  Feb.  17,  1891. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  25,  1889  (L.  B.  W.),  April 
25,  1909  (J.  Lamb)  ;  Portland,  May  30,  1885. 

Winter  records.  Merriam  records1  that  Grinnell  told  him  that 
over  two  hundred  remained  about  the  mouth  of  the  Housatonic 
River  during  the  winter  of  1876-7.  In  January,  1904,  a  New 
Haven  daily  paper  reported  that  a  flock  was  wintering  along  the 
shore  of  the  Sound  east  of  Stonington.  W.  W.  Coe2  saw  one 
shot  in  the  Middlefield  reservoir,  Jan.  4,  1883.  Three  were  shot 
from  a  flock  of  six  at  Clinton,  Dec.  28,  1909,  by  C.  A.  Merrell 
(one  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Branta  canadensis  hutchinsi  (Richardson) .    Hutchins'  Goose. 

Very  rare. 

Linsley  records  it  from  Stratford.  G.  B.  Grinnell1  says  it  is 
recognized  by  the  gunners  about  Milford  (1877).  E.  H.  Austin 
informs  us  that  this  species  used  to  occur  in  small  numbers  at 
Stratford,  and  that  he  remembers  seeing  three,  May  23,  in  the 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  122. 
9O.  and  O.,  viii,  3,  p.  24. 


42  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

sixties,  in  the  possession  of  a  gunner  at  Milford  Point.    He  also 
reports  one  shot  in  South  Kent  a  few  years  ago  (about  1900). 

Branta  bernicla  glaucogastra  (Brehm).     Brant. 

A  rare  straggler  on  the  Sound  in  the  fall  and  winter. 

Linsley  recorded  the  Brant  as  "  common  "  in  Stratford  in  the 
winter.  Merriam1  gives  the  following  records:  spring,  1877, 
Stratford  Light,  two  killed  (Grinnell)  ;  April  14,  1876,  mouth  of 
East  Haven  River,  three  seen  (Osborne)  ;  spring,  1876,  Con- 
necticut River  above  Hartford,  one  shot  (Dr.  Wood). 

The  following  recent  records  appear:  1893-4-5,  a  large  num- 
ber wintered  off  Stamford  (Porter)  ;  Dec.  21,  1895,  Stony  Creek, 
a  male  taken  by  E.  M.  Cooper  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.  21, 
1903,  Stratford,  two  males  and  one  female  shot  by  G.  Greenway 
(in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.). 

Subfamily  CYGNIN^E.     Swans. 

Olor  columbianus  (Ord).     Whistling  Swan. 

The  only  records  for  Connecticut  are  as  follows:  Linsley 
mentions  four  specimens,  two  of  which  were  killed,  at  Stratford; 
Merriam2  records  that  two  Swans  were  seen  in  Branford  Harbor 
during  a  severe  gale  about  the  middle  of  March,  1876  (Beers), 
and  several  were  seen  at  the  same  time  near  Milford  (Grinnell)  ; 
a  young  bird  was  shot  off  Grass  Island,  Guilford  Harbor,  by  Mr. 
Reuben  Hill,  Nov.  2  or  3,  1893,  and  mounted  by  Capt.  Brooks3 
(now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Norton  of  Guilford)  ;  an  adult 
taken  in  Fairfield  is  in  the  Linsley  collection  of  the  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc. 

Order  HERODIONES.    Herons,  Storks,  Ibises,  etc. 
Suborder  IBIDES.       Spoonbills  and  Ibises. 

Family  IBIDID^.     Ibises. 
Guara  alba  (Linnaeus).     White  Ibis. 

The  only  record  for  New  England  is  one  reported  by  Merriam4 
as  seen  by  G.  B.  Grinnell,  who  wrote:  "  Late  in  the  afternoon  of 
May  23  (1875),  I  observed  near  Milford,  Conn.,  a  specimen  of 
Ibis  alba.  I  recognized  the  bird  as  it  flew  over  me,  and  following 
it  to  a  small  pond,  where  it  went  down,  discovered  it  perched  upon 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   121. 
'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   120. 
8  Reported  by  L.  B.  B.,  Auk,  xi,   i,  p.  74. 
*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  no. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  43 

a  tree  over  the  water.  I  carefully  examined  it  with  a  good  glass, 
at  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  and  by  this 
means  was  enabled  to  note  every  detail  of  form  and  color.  It  was 
in  full  plumage,  the  white  being  pure,  and  the  naked  skin  about 
the  head  bright  red.  After  watching  it  for  a  few  moments  I  tried 
to  approach  it,  but  before  I  came  within  gunshot  it  flew,  uttering 
a  hoarse  cackle  as  it  went  off." 

Plegadis  autumnalis  (Linnaeus).  Glossy  Ibis. 
Linsley  obtained  five  specimens  at  Stratford.1 
The  only  other  record  is  that  of  Dr.  J.  Barratt2  of  Middletown, 
who  wrote  in  the  Middletown  Sentinel  and  Witness  for  May  21, 
1850,  that  "  One  of  these  rare  birds  (Ibis  falcinella)  was  shot  in 
Middletown  on  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut,  May  9th,  time  of 
high  flood.  It  has  been  carefully  preserved  and  is  now  in  the 
cabinet  of  Dr.  J.  Barratt."  He  adds,  "  The  Ibis  falcinella  is  very 
rarely  seen  in  the  United  States.  This  is  the  first  that  has  come 
to  our  notice  on  the  Connecticut,  and  has  not  been  known  in  this 
country  many  years."  Since  this  article  appeared,  the  specimen 
has  been  presented  to  the  Wesleyan  University  Museum,  Middle- 
town,  and  is  in  good  condition. 

•  On  page  92  in  the  copy  of  Nuttall's  Manual  (Water  Birds) 
owned  by  Dr.  Barratt,  is  the  following  marginal  note  in  his  hand- 
writing: "My  specimen,  28  inches,  May,  1850.  J.  Barratt." 
(J.  H.  S.). 

Suborder  HERODII.    Herons,  Egrets,  Bitterns,  etc. 

Family  ARDEIDyE.     Herons,  Bitterns,  etc. 

Subfamily  BOTAURIN^E.     Bitterns. 

Botaurus  lentiginosus  (Montagu).     Bittern. 

A  common  fall  and  less  common  spring  migrant;  rare  sum- 
mer resident.  Most  common  during  September  and  October,  and 
April. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  27,  1895  ; 
Portland,  Sept.  14,  1892.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  2, 
1903;  Portland,  Oct.  24,  1890. 


iMerriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  no. 

3  This  specimen  is  also  recorded  in  Merriam,  p.  no,  and  by  J.  H.  S.  in  the  Auk, 
iv,  3,  pp.  253-4. 


44  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  20, 
1887;  Portland,  April  8,  1887;  Columbia,  March  26,  1894  (W. 
E.  T.).  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4,  1898;  Portland,  May 
21,  1907. 

Summer  records.  June  9,  1892,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  June  24, 
1893,  June  21,  1894,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven  (A.  H. 
V.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  20,  1904,  Salisbury  (J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B. 
B.)  ;  May  30,  June  n,  15,  1891,  June  30,  1905  (E.  S.  W.),  July 
3,  1895,  Litchfield  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  July  23,  1910,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

Winter  record.  Dec.  29,  1904,  Stamford,  a  male  in  perfect 
condition  taken  (in  coll.  of  Hoyt). 

Nesting  records.  June,  Portland,  eggs  taken  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  June 
27,  1907,  Litchfield,  four  young  in  nest  (E.  S.  W.). 

Ixobrychus  exilis  (Gmelin).     Least  Bittern. 

A  rather  rare  summer  resident  of  the  marshes  along  the  coast, 
occasional  inland.  Formerly  common. 

Earliest  record.    May  29,  1875,  Portland. 

Latest  record.     Sept.  22,  1902,  New  Haven. 

Nest.  Usually  a  mere  hollow  of  rushes  fastened  to  the  flags 
of  a  grass-grown  marsh. 

Eggs.    4-5 ;  middle  of  June.  „ 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  8,  1898,  five  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  June  27,  1876,  one  egg  (Nichols). 

Merriam1  notes  this  species  as  a  pretty  regular  summer  resi- 
dent, having  been  particularly  abundant  throughout  the  state  dur- 
ing the  season  of  1875.  At  that  same  time  W.  W.  C.  informed 
Merriam  that  they  bred  regularly  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland.  Of 
recent  years  the  Least  Bittern  has  become  relatively  scarce. 

Recent  records:  May,  about  1896,  Winchester,  pair  seen 
(Williams)  ;2  May,  1904,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  June  23,  1904, 
Stratford,  a  breeding  pair  taken  by  E.  Perry,  Jr. ;  June  18,  1907, 
Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  June  19,  1909,  Morris  Cove,  New  Haven, 
nest  with  four  eggs  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Sept.  13,  1909,  Goodspeed's  Land- 
ing, bird  taken  (C.  R.  H.)  ;  June  15,  1910,  New  Haven,  deserted 
nest  with  one  egg  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  July  23,  1910,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   113. 
"Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  293. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  45 

Subfamily  ARDEIN.E.    Herons  and  Egrets. 

Ardea  herodias  herodias  Linnaeus.    Great  Blue  Heron. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant.  Very  rare  sum- 
mer resident. 

Spring  migration.  Average,  April  1-20.  Earliest  record.  New 
Haven,  March  22,  1902 ;  Portland,  April  3,  1896.  Latest  record. 
New  Haven,  April  29,  1884,  and  1890,  May  16,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ; 
Portland,  May  n,  1875. 

Fall  migation.  Average,  Aug.  20  —  Oct.  20.  Earliest  record. 
New  Haven,  July  14,  1893 ;  Portland,  Aug.  2,  1880.  Latest  record. 
New  Haven,  Nov.  16,  1904;  Portland,  Nov.  25,  1892;  coast,  Nov. 
26,  1875  (Merriam).1 

Summer  records.  June  2,  1877,  New  Haven  (W.  P. 
Nichols)  ;*  May  15,  1897,  May  21,  1898,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
June  7,  1897,  May  13,  18,  June  3,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 
E.  S.  W.  says  this  species  is  often  seen  in  the  summer  at  Bantam 
Lake,  Litchfield.  Nest  found  in  Winchester  about  1900  by  Wil- 
liams (Job).2 

Herodias  egretta  (Gmelin).     Egret. 

An  irregular  transient  visitor  in  late  summer. 

Connecticut  records.  Prior  to  1877,  a  specimen  was  shot  near 
Middletown  (in  Museum  of  Wesleyan  University)  ;3  Grinnell 
reported  seeing  it  on  the  marshes  near  Milford  in  September;3 
Dr.  Wood  reported  one  near  East  Windsor  Hill  "  several  years 
ago  "  (i.  e.,  before  1877)  ;3  a  pair,  seen  at  Lake  Saltonstall,  July, 
1876,  and  later  not  less  than  seven  (F.  S.  Smith)  ;3  Aug.  2,  1878, 
and  Aug.  n,  1882,  specimens  shot  by  J.  R.  Chalker  near  Say- 
brook  (latter  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;4  April  I,  1883,  Stamford,  adult 
in  full  nuptial  plumage  taken  (Schaler)  ;  Aug.  14,  1883,  Hart- 
ford (W.  E.  T.)  ;5  1883,  East  Haven  (L.  T.  Hotchkiss,  in  Pea- 
body  Museum)  ;  July  29,  1897,  July  30,  1898,  Aug.  8,  1898,  Stam- 
ford, young  taken  (Schaler)  ;  Aug.  19,  1897,  Clinton,  one  shot; 
Aug.,  1897,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  one  seen  (Robert- 


i  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   no. 

a  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  293. 

'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  in. 

*  O.  and  O.,  vii,  24,  p.   189;  viii,  i,  p.  4. 

•  Auk,  iv,  i,  p.  78. 


46  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

son)  ;  Aug.,  1899,  flock  of  a  hundred  seen  near  East  Haven 
marshes,  a  number  roosting  nightly  at  Branford  (Nichols)  ;  July 
28,  1899,  Kent,  one  taken  by  Hall  (in  coll.  of  H.  K.  J.)  j1  July  25, 
1906,  Canaan,  one  shot  (in  coll.  of  Pease)  ;x  Aug.,  1911,  near 
Greenwich,  one  seen  (P.  G.  Howes);2  Aug.  15-30,  1911,  West 
Haven,  two  seen  (J.  Hitchcock). 

Egretta  candidissima  candidissima  (Gmelin).    Snowy  Egret. 

Merriam3  characterizes  this  species  as  "  a  rare  accidental  visi- 
tor from  the  South."  He  further  states  that  Linsley  saw  it  at 
Stratford  and  that  Dr.  Crary  has  taken  it  at  Hartford  (prior  to 
1877).  C.  L.  R.  of  Norwich  writes  in  O.  and  O.  :4  "  In  early  Octo- 
ber I  have  seen  eleven  Snowy  Herons  at  the  point  (Groton  Long 
Point)  at  once,  at  another  time  nine,  and  smaller  groups  in  other 
seasons."  Mr.  Jno.  C.  Comstock,  in  his  journal  kept  at  Lyme, 
records  five  specimens  seen  July  28,  1853,  and  thirteen  Aug.  16, 
1853  (J-  H.  S.). 

Florida  caerulea  (Linnseus).     Little  Blue  Heron. 

A  rare  straggler  from  the  South. 

Merriam3  gives  the  following  records:  Linsley  took  it  at 
Stratford;  April,  1877,  one  seen  in  Lake  Whitney  (doubtful 
record);  May  (1876?),  Suffield,  one  shot  (doubtful  record). 

Other  records:  July  28,  1875,  Wethersfield,  two  seen,  a 
young  male  killed  by  Mr.  Ransom  T.  Hewitt  (in  coll.  of  W.  W. 
C.,  and  recorded  in  part  by  Merriam)  ;  Aug.  12,  1881,  Saybrook, 
a  specimen  in  immature  plumage  obtained  from  a  flock  of  about 
six  (J.  N.  C.)  f  summer,  1895,  one  taken  near  New  Haven  and 
mounted  by  a  local  taxidermist;  Aug.  4,  1897,  Niantic,  one  taken 
(P.  J.  McCook)  ;  July»2i  — Aug.  5,  1899,  Lyme,  seven  seen,  two 
taken  (A.  W.  Brockway)  ;6  Sept.  15,  1899,  Stratford,  one  young 
in  a  flock  of  three  taken  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  April  27,  1900, 
Portland,  female  in  adult  plumage  shot  by  Hurlburt  (  in  coll.  of 
J.  H.  S.)  ;  Aug.  2,  1901,  Guilford,  young  shot  (in  coll.  of  L.  B. 

1  H.  K.  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  294. 
^Oologist,  xxviii,  9,  p.   152. 
3  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   in. 
*  O.  and  O.,  xvi,  4,  p.   59. 
6  O.  and  O.,  vi,  7,  p.   51. 
Auk,    xvi,    4,    p.    152. 


No.  2O.]  .  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  47 

B.)  ;  July  22 —  Aug.  18,  and  Sept.  7,  1904,  Niantic,  one  to  ten 
seen  (McCook).1 

Butorides  virescens  virescens  (Linnaeus).    Green  Heron. 

A  common  summer  resident  throughout  the  state,  arriving 
early  in  May,  and  the  majority  leaving  early  in  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  27,  1886;  Portland,  April 
24,  1902. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  2,  1902,  Oct.  15,  1898  (E. 
S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  I,  1894;  Guilford,  Oct.  22,  1909  (H.  E. 
Watrous). 

Nest.  In  a  cedar,  hemlock,  or  white  birch,  as  a  rule,  and  at 
a  height  of  from  8  to  30  feet  from  the  ground.  Frequently  in  a 
small  colony,  but  often  alone. 

Eggs.    4  or  5,  usually  5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  n,  1906,  five  eggs 
(E.  S.  W.).  Latest  record.  July  8,  1882,  five  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Nycticorax  nycticorax  naevius  (Boddaert).  Black-crowned 
Night  Heron. 

A  summer  resident  from  May  to  October. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  3,  1888;  Portland,  April 
28,  1905. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  17,  1900;  Portland,  Nov. 
12,  1902. 

Nest.  Usually  high  in  the  top  of  a  pine  or  hemlock  and  in 
colonies. 

Eggs.    3-5 ;  the  latter  part  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  4,  1902,  five  eggs 
(Beers).  Latest  record.  June  20,  1886,  two  eggs.  (Eames). 

Colonies.  Rocky  Hill,  1872,  hundreds  reported  breeding  in 
a  heronry;2  Lake  Whitney,  prior  to  1881,  a  colony  in  Heron 
Swamp  —  again  occupied  by  many  pairs  in  1904  and  later 
(Bennett)  ;  near  Norwalk,  1903,  twenty  to  twenty-five  pairs 
breeding  in  a  heronry  (Canfield  and  Watrous),  numbers  greatly 
increased  in  1904  (Perry)  ;  Wood3  reported  a  rookery  where 


lAuk,  xxii,    i,   p.   77. 

'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   112. 

1  Samuels,  Birds  of  New  England,  p.  410. 


48  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  thousands  "  bred,  fourteen  miles  from  East  Windsor,  now  prac- 
tically abandoned  (J.  H.  S.). 

Unusual  record.  Feb.  9,  10,  and  n,  1880,  a  specimen  flushed 
in  the  open  spaces  of  water  on  the  Thames  River,  Norwich,  by 
C.  L.  R.1 

Albino.  Summer  of  1894,  Stamford,  young  bird,  creamy 
white  with  markings  of  pale  russet  and  ecru-drab  (W.  H.  Hoyt, 
in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Order  PALUDICOL^E.     Cranes,  Rails,  etc. 

Suborder  RALLI.     Rails,  Gallinules,  Coots,  etc. 

Family  RALLIDyE.     Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 

Subfamily  RALLIN.E.     Rails. 

Rallus  elegans  Audubon.     King  Rail. 

Rare. 

Linsley  found  it  breeding  at  Stratford;  Merriam2  reports  a 
specimen  in  the  possession  of  J.  N.  C.,  taken  at  Saybrook,  Jan. 
14,  1876;  Sept.  17,  1879,  Portland,  female  killed  (in  coll.  of  J. 
H.  S.)  ;  c.'  1882-5,  specimens  shot  at  Glastonbury,  Wethersfield, 
and  East  Haddam  (reported  by  Sperry  to  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  23, 
1892,  Middletown(W.E.T.)  ;  Sept.  1,1895,  Little  River  Marshes, 
Middletown,  male  taken  (in  coll.  of  C.  H.  N.)  ;  Sept.  5,  1901, 
Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  young  male  taken  (G.  V. 
Smith,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  26,  1905,  same  location,  young 
female  (Sperry,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  April  22,  24,  1910,  Leete's 
Island,  two  females  trapped  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  J.  N.  C.  in- 
formed L.  B.  B.  that  he  had  taken  one  set  of  eggs  many  years 
ago. 

Rallus  crepitans  crepitans  Gmelin.    Clapper  Rail. 
A  rather  rare  summer  resident  of  the  salt-water  marshes  of 
the  western  part  of  the  state;  occasionally  wintering. 

Earliest  record.    East  Haven,  May  24,  1879  (Woolsey). 
Latest  record.    Fairfield,  Nov.  13,  1891   (Eames). 
Winter  record.     Feb.  9,  1900,  Stamford   (Hoyt). 
Nest.    A  nest  of  rushes  in  the  marshes. 


i  O.  and  O.t  v,  10,  p.  78. 
'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  113. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  49 

Eggs.     8-14;  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  17,  1893,  eight  eggs 
(Schaler).  Latest  record.  June  25,  1891,  twelve  eggs  (Lucas). 

Recent  records.  Stamford,  1874,  fourteen  eggs,  Sept.,  1893, 
four  taken,  Feb.  9,  1900,  male  taken  (Hoyt),  June  17,  1893, 
female  and  eight  eggs  (Schaler),  Sept.  27,  1893,  female  taken 
(Porter)  ;  Fairfield,  Nov.  13,  1891,  female  taken  (Eames)  ;  Strat- 
ford, June  25,  1891,  twelve  eggs  taken  (W.  H.  Lucas),1  Sept., 
1893,  one  taken  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Milford,  Dec.  20,  1892  [?] 
(A.  H.  V.),  May  26,  1900,  male  taken  (Beers);  West  Haven, 
May  30,  1904,  female  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  New  Haven,  1882,  twelve 
eggs  (E.  H.  Barbour),  Sept.  n,  1886,  female  taken  (C.  H. 
Webb)  ;  East  Haven,  May  24,  1879,  male  taken  (Woolsey)  ; 
Guilford,  Sept.  10,  1884,  female  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Saybrook, 
one  record  (J.  N.  C.). 

Rallus  virginianus  Linnaeus.     Virginia  Rail. 

A  rather  rare  summer  resident  from  May  to  October,  and  a 
tolerably  common  fall  migrant. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  19,  1904,  April  20,  1906 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  April  22,  1910. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  29,  1904;  Portland,  Oct.  20, 
1890. 

Nest.     In  rushes  in  fresh-water  marsh. 

Eggs.     7-10;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  18,  1910,  eleven  eggs 
(C.  G.  H.).  Latest  record.  July  3,  1892,  ten  eggs  (J.  H.  S.). 

Porzana  Carolina  (Linnaeus).     Sora. 

An  abundant  fall  migrant  in  September  and  October,  fre- 
quenting the  wild  rice  and  cat-tail  rushes  in  the  tidal  marshes,  as 
well  as  the  marshes  along  the  inland  waterways.  Rare  in  the 
spring. 

Fall  migration.  Average,  Sept.  I  —  Oct.  25.  Earliest  record. 
New  Haven,  Aug.  23,  1902;  Portland,  Aug.  17,  1897.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  i,  1895;  Portland,  Nov.  5, .1894. 

Spring  records.  May  28,  1898,  New  Haven,  a  female  taken 
(Andrews,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  3,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S. 

1  Recorded  in  AverilPs  Birds  of  Bridgeport  as  Gallinula  galeata. 
4 


5O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

W.)  ;  May  1-5,  1908,  May  17,  1909,  May  16,  1910,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.). 

Summer  record.    Aug.  12,  1900,  Westville  (G.  V.  Smith). 

Winter  record.  Dec.  29,  1881,  Hartford,  a  male  shot 
(H.  T.  G.).1 

Breeding  records.  1882,  Norwich,  three  sets  of  nine  eggs 
each  (C.  L.  R.)  ;2  May  30,  1909,  Talmage  Hill  (New  Canaan), 
eleven  eggs  (P.  G.  Howes).3  Nested  at  Portland  in  the  early 
sixties,  and  eggs  taken  at  that  time  have  ever  since  been  in  the 
coll.  of  J.  H.  S.  No  recent  record. 

Albino.  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  Sept.  30,  1901,  young  female 
taken,  colored  yellowish  tawny  olive  with  markings  of  broccoli- 
brown  (C.  R.  Hooker,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Coturnicops  noveboracensis  (Gmelin).     Yellow  Rail. 

A  fall  migrant  in  October  to  our  marshes;  probably  not  un- 
common, but  seldom  taken  owing  to  its  secretive  habits. 

Merriam*  records  that  they  breed  about  Middletown  (W.  W. 
C.),  and  that  several  have  been  taken  near  Milford  (Grinnell) 
and  Stratford  (Linsley). 

Earliest  record.  Little  River  Marshes,  Middletown,  Sept.  8, 
1894  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Latest  record.     Milford,  Nov.  10,  1876  (Grinnell).4 

Spring  record.  March  24,  1888,  Gaylordsville,  a  male  taken 
by  E.  H.  Austin  (in  coll.  of  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.). 

Fall  records  since  1894.  Middletown,  Sept.  8  (1894) — Oct. 
25  (1894),  five  taken  (Gould,  Strong,  Tryon,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Quinnipiac  Marshes,  Sept.  15  (1908) — Oct.  15  (1894),  twelve 
taken  (Andrews,  A.  Ganung,  P.  Stetson,  Whitney,  H.  W.  R,  L. 
C  S.,  L.  B.  B.,  in  coll.  of  H.  W.  R,  L.  C.  S.,  and  L.  B.  B.). 

Breeding  record.  The  only  breeding  record  is  that  of  W.  W. 
C.,*  who  informed  Merriam  that  they  bred  about  Middletown  in 
1874  and  1875.  A  questionable  record  —  probably  a  misunder- 
standing (J.  H.  S.). 

Creciscus  jamaicensis  (Gmelin).     Black  Rail. 
A  rare  summer  resident. 


1O.  and  O.,  vii,  15,  p.  119. 

>  O.  and  O.,  vii,  22,  p.  173. 

*Oologist,  xxviii,  5,  p.  90. 

4  Merriam.  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   118. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  51 

Connecticut  records.  July  10,  1876,  Saybrook,  female  sitting 
on  nest  of  ten  eggs  (four  eggs  in  coll.  of  J.  N.  C.)  j1  June  13,  1884, 
Saybrook,  nine  eggs  taken  (J.  N.  C.)  ?  July  u,  1893,  Aug.  12, 
1904,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  flushed  (  ?) ,  but  not  ob- 
tained (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  14,  1904,  Essex,  young  bird  (Whitney, 
in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.). 

Crex  crex  (Linnaeus).     Corn  Crake. 

The  only  record  of  this  species  in  Connecticut  is  that  of  J. 
N.  C.  of  Saybrook,  who  obtained  an  adult  male,  Oct.  20,  1887, 
in  a  swampy  thicket  at  the  head  of  a  marsh  some  two  miles  from 
Long  Island  Sound.  It  is  recorded  and  described  in  O.  and  0., 
xiii,  3,  pp.  45-6. 

Subfamily  GALLINULINJE.     Gallinules. 

lonornis  martinicus  (Linnaeus).     Purple  Gallinule. 

A  very  rare  accidental  visitor  from  the  South. 

Merriam1  records  a  specimen  taken  near  Middletown,  about 
1855,  and  now  in  the  Wesleyan  University  Museum;  Henry  R. 
Smith  of  Stamford  mounted  a  specimen  taken  there  in  1877,  while 
Hoyt  reports  another  from  Stamford  in  the  spring  of  1884;  a 
female  was  collected  at  Bridgeport,  Jufte  26,  1903,  by  J.  H. 
Canfield  (in  coll.  of  Beers). 

Gallinula  galeata   (Lichtenstein).     Florida  Gallinule. 

A  rather  rare  fall  visitant,  occasionally  taken  by  sportsmen 
while  shooting  Rail. 

Although  Grinnell1  called  it  a  rather  common  summer  resident, 
the  only  summer  record  which  we  have  is  a  specimen  in  the  Pea- 
body  Museum,  taken  by  E.  L.  Coe,  in  New  Haven,  in  June,  1899. 

Coast  records.  Sept.  28,  1889,  Stratford,  female  taken  (in 
Averill  coll.  of  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.)  ;  Sept.  20,  1903,  Sept.  15,  1904, 
Essex  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  30,  1902,  New  Haven  (H. 
Whitney)  ;  Sept.  4,  1906,  Essex  (F.  F.  Brewster,  in  coll.  of  L. 
B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  16,  1906,  Stratford  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  15,  28,  1908, 
New  Haven  (P.  Stetson);  Sept.  25,  1911,  Stratford,  two  taken 
(H.  W.  B.). 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   119. 
*Auk,   i,   4,   pp.    393-4- 


52  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Inland  records.  Sept.  23,  1892,  young  female,  Sept.  21,  1894, 
young  female,  Oct.  15,  1895,  female,  Sept.  3,  1903,  male  shot  at 
Little  River  Marshes,  Middletown  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept., 
1907,  Canaan,  one  shot  by  Stevens,  who  also  saw  one  that  had 
been  shot  there  in  Sept.,  1906  (H.  K.  J.)  j1  Sept.,  1895,  one  col- 
lected at  Litchfield  by  H.  Sanford  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Oct.  12,  1908, 
Goodspeed's  Landing,  one  shot  (Brackett,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Subfamily  FULICIN^E.     Coots. 

Fulica  americana  Gmelin.     Coot. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  migrant  in  September  and  October; 
much  rarer  than  formerly.  Seldom  seen  in  spring. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  21,  1896;  Portland,  Sept. 
19,  1893. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  3,  1888 ;  Portland,  Nov.  14, 
1892. 

Spring  records.  May  I,  1887,  April  22,  May  15,  1888,  Port- 
land (J.  H.  S.)  ;  April  2-23,  1910,  West  Haven  (H.  K.  J.). 

Summer  record.    July  19,  1906,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

Order  LIMICOLJE.     Shore  Birds. 

r 

Family  PHALAROPODID^E.    Phalaropes. 

Phalaropus  fulicarius  (Linnaeus).     Red  Phalarope. 

An  accidental  visitor  during  migrations. 

The  first  record  is  that  noted  by  Merriam2  (1877)  :  "  W.  W. 
Coe  has  a  specimen  in  his  cabinet  killed  at  Portland  in  Septem- 
ber." May  22,  1881,  Portland,  one  obtained  by  C.  H.  N.;  Sept. 
27,  1886,  Hartford,  female  shot  by  W.  E.  T.  ;3  Oct.  21,  1890,  Port- 
land, female  shot  by  J.  L.  Goff  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  24, 
1894,  East  Haven,  a  male  in  nuptial  dress  taken  by  L.  B.  B. ; 
Nov.  24,  1895,  Portland,  male  taken,  Oct.  2,  1903,  female  shot 
(in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  25,  1908,  West  Haven,  a  young 
female  shot  by  P.  B.  H.  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Lobipes  lobatus  (Linnaeus).     Northern  Phalarope. 
An  accidental  visitor  in  the  spring  and  fall. 


»Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  294- 

'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   103. 

1  Auk,  iv,   i,  p.   78;  corrected,  Auk,  xi,   i,  p.   74. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  53 

Connecticut  records.  Aug.  4,  I886,1  Sept.  12,  1889,  Quinni- 
piac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  males,  taken  by  E.  L.  Munson; 
Aug.  24,  1893,  West  Haven,  taken  by  A.  H.  V.  (in  coll.  of 
Porter)  ;  May  20,  1894,  Bridgeport,  male  killed  by  flying  against 
electric  wires  (in  coll.  of  J.  C.  A.  M.)  f  May  21,  1894,  Quinnipiac 
Marshes,  four  seen,  two  females  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  22,  1894, 
East  Haven,  two  males  and  a  female  secured  (H.  W.  F.). 

Steganopus  tricolor  Vieillot.     Wilson's  Phalarope. 

The  only  record  of  this  species  in  Connecticut  is  the  specimen 
recorded  by  Linsley  as  killed  in  Bridgeport.  It  is  a  female  in 
breeding  plumage,  and  is  now  in  the  collection  of  the  Bpt.  Sci. 
Soc. 

Family  RECURVIROSTRID^E.     Avocets  and  Stilts. 

Recurvirostra  americana  Gmelin.    Avocet. 

Merriam3  notes  the  only  specimen  recorded  from  this  state: 
1871,  between  Saybrook  and  East  Lyme,  a  specimen  caught  in 
an  old  seine  strung  out  on  the  beach  to  dry,  and  kept  alive  for 
some  time  (J.  G.  Ely). 

Family  SCOLOPACIDvE.     Sandpipers,  etc. 

Philohela  minor  (Gmelin).     Woodcock. 

A  summer  resident,  though  more  common  during  migrations  ; 
occasionally  wintering.  Breeds  in  less  numbers  than  formerly. 
Most  common  during  March,  and  from  Sept.  15  to  Nov.  25. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  3,  1883 ;  Portland,  Feb. 
28,  1878. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  22,  1894,  Nov.  26,  1906 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Nov.  28,  1895. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  18,  1882,  Dec.  31,  1895,  New  Haven 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.,  1884,  New  London  County  (C.  L.  R.)4;  Jan. 
26,  1890,  Bridgeport  (W.  H.  Lucas);5  Jan.  I,  1903,  East  Haven 
(H.  W.  F.)  ;  Dec.  9,  1906,  Dec.  28,  1907,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.). 

1O.  and  O.,  xii,  9,  p.   156. 

3  Auk,  xii,  i,  p.  77;  wrongly  recorded  as  P.  fulicarius  (L.  B.  B.). 

3  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  103. 

4  O.  and  O.,  ix,  2,  p.   57. 
*  O.  and  O.,  xv,   2,  p.  31. 


54  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Nest.  Eggs  are  laid  on  a  bed  of  dry  leaves  or  on  moss,  with 
no  pretense  of  a  nest. 

Eggs.     4. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  March  24,  1886,  egg  ready 
for  nest  taken  from  bird  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  March  29,  1898,  four  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  June  3,  1875,  Norwich,  four  eggs 
(C.  L.  R.).1 

The  strange  habit  of  grasping  its  young  between  its  claws  and 
carrying  it  through  the  air  in  its  flight  has  been  noted  both  by 
J.  H.  S.,  May  30,  1874,  and  by  L.  B.  B.,  April  27,  1894. 

Albino.  New  Haven,  Nov.  7,  1894,  abdomen  white,  and  rest 
of  plumage  very  pale,  taken  by  J.  B.  Robertson. 

Gallinago  delicata  (Ord).     Wilson's  Snipe. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  April,  October 
and  November,  but  rapidly  decreasing  in  numbers.  Very  rare 
summer  or  winter  resident. 

Spring  migration.  Average,  March  25  to  May  10.  Earliest 
record.  New  Haven,  March. 29,  1898,  March  19,  1894  (H.  W. 
F.)  ;  Portland,  March  18,  1874.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  13,  1882;  Portland,  May  14,  1874,  May  13,  1909. 

Fall  migration.  Average,  Sept.  I  to  Oct.  25.  Earliest  record. 
New  Haven,  Sept.  18,  1895;  Portland,  Sept.  I,  1892,  1893.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  i,  1882;  Portland,  Dec.  7,  1877. 

Winter  records.  Feb.  4,  1872,  Portland  (W.  W.  C.)  f  Jan. 
22,  1896,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Summer  records.  Aug.  5,  1886,  North  Haven  (E.  L.  Mun- 
son)  ;  Aug.  12,  1889,  East  Hartford,  one  found  under  a  tele- 
graph wire  (W.  E.  T.). 

Breeding  record.  May  13,  1874,  Portland,  nest  with  three 
eggs  found  and  fully  identified,  since  parent  bird  was  on  nest 
(J.  H.  S.  and  W.  W.  C.)2.  Several  birds  of  this  species  were 
in  the  meadow  at  the  time  and  also  on  the  following  day,  but  we 
saw  only  the  one  nest  (J.  H.  S.). 

Macrorhamphus  griseus  griseus  (Gmelin).     Dowitcher. 
Very  rare;  now  merely  an  accidental  fall  migrant  in  July  and 
August. 

1  O.  and  O.,  ii,  i,  p.  2;  and  xiv,  n,  p.  176. 
a  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  105. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  55 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam1  characterizes  it  as  "  not  rare 
during  the  migrations."  Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford.  Aug.  21, 
1874,  Saybrook,  two  shot  by  W.  W.  C,  one  in  collection  of  J. 
H.  S. ;  Aug.  20,  1892,  Grove  Beach,  Clinton,  a  young  male,  Aug. 
15,  1894,  a  young  male  and  two  young  females  (H.  W.  F.)  ; 
July,  1892,  and  1894,  Stamford  (Schaler)  ;  Aug.  27,  1897,  Guil- 
ford,  a  young  female  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Capt.  Jas.  Holt  of  Lyme  in- 
formed W.  E.  T.  that  he  had  seen  eight  (about  1893). 

Macrorhamphus  griseus  scolopaceus  (Say).  Long-billed 
Dowitcher. 

The  only  record  for  Connecticut  is  that  of  an  adult  taken  on 
the  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  Aug.  5,  1886,  by  Dr.  E. 
L.  Munson  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.). 

Micropalama  himantopus  (Bonaparte).     Stilt  Sandpiper. 

A  rare  straggler  in  May,  August,  and  September. 

Connecticut  records.  June,  1874,  three,  Aug.  30,  1886,  Quin- 
nipiac Marshes,  North  Haven  (in  coll.  of  Dr.  E.  L.  R.  Thomp- 
son), incorrectly  reported  in  Merriam2  and  0.  and  O.3  as  Curlew 
Sandpipers  (corrected  by  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  16,  1886,  same  locality, 
one  young  taken  (E.  L.  Munson)  ;3  Sept.  17,  1886,  near  New 
Haven  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Aug.  20,  1892,  Grove  Beach,  Clin- 
ton, adult  female  taken  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  30,  1894,  West  Haven, 
adult  female  taken  (L.  B.  B.). 

Tringa  canutus  Linnseus.     Knot. 

A  rare  straggler  on  the  coast  in  the  spring  and  fall.  Formerly 
"  common  during  migrations/'* 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam  records  that  W.  W.  C.  has 
"  found  it  about  the  Connecticut  River  near  Middletown  in  sum- 
mer "4  [probably  a  misunderstanding  as  to  species  (J.  H.  S.)]. 
Aug.  21,  1874,  Saybrook  (J.  H.  S.) ;  Sept.  20,  1882,  West  Haven, 
one  taken  (A.  H.  Baldwin)  ;  Sept.  9,  1885,  same  place,  one  young 
taken  (Munson,  in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  25,  1903,  same  place, 
young  male  (A.  Ganung,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jas.  Holt  of  Lyme 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  105. 
*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  106. 

3  O.  and  O.,  xii,  9,  p.  156. 

4  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.    107. 


56  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

says  they  were  found  in  September  (1893?)  ;  L.  C.  S.  informs  us 
that  seven  were  shot  in  West  Haven  by  Hotchkiss  several  years 
ago. 

Arquatella  maritima  maritima  (Briinnich).  Purple  Sandpiper. 

A  rare  late  fall  migrant,  frequenting  the  rocky  islands  off  the 
coast,  and  an  occasional  winter  resident. 

Capt.  Brooks  wrote  Merriam1  that  "  Purple  Sandpipers  come 
here  [Faulkner's  Island]  in  early  fall  and  stay  till  spring." 

Connecticut  records.  Nov.,  1879,  Stamford,  two  taken  by 
Hezekiah  Weed  (Hoyt)  ;  April  22,  1881,  Saybrook,  female  taken 
(in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  c.  1882,  Saybrook,  one  secured  (J.  N.  C.)  ;2 
Nov.  10,  1883,  Guilford,  one  secured  from  a  small  flock  (L.  B. 
B.)  ;  Nov.  28,  1885,  Stony  Creek  (G.  E.  V.,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ; 
Nov.  15,  1888,  Stamford,  one  taken  (Hoyt)  ;  Nov.,  1891,  Stam- 
ford, two  taken  by  Hecker  (Hoyt)  ;  Jan.  I,  1893,  New  Haven, 
one  shot  (C.  Webb,  in  coll.  of  Porter)  ;  March  31,  1893,  May, 
1897,  Dec.  18,  1897,  Branford  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Jan.  i,  1894,  New 
Haven  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  Nov.  20,  1895,  Stony  Creek,  one  shot  (E.  M. 
Cooper)  ;  winter,  1898-9,  a  few  seen  frequently  on  the  small  rocky 
islands  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  Sound  (G.  E.  V.). 

Pisobia  maculata  (Vieillot).     Pectoral  Sandpiper. 

A  common  fall  migrant;  unknown  in  the  spring. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  July  30,  1890;  Portland,  Sept. 
25,  1890. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  21,  1895;  Portland,  Oct.  31, 
1891. 

The  adults  pass  in  August,  Aug.  17  (1882)  to  Aug.  27  (1882, 
1897).  The  young  follow  in  September,  Sept.  6  (1894)  to  Oct. 
21  (1895). 

Summer  record.  July  26,  1890,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North 
Haven,  flock  of  ten  seen  (Trowbridge). 

A  hybrid  between  P.  maculata  and  P.  fuscicollis  was  taken 
on  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  Aug.  4,  1894,  by  L.  B.  B.  It  was 
with  a  few  Spotted  Sandpipers,  and  was  remarkably  tame.  No 
Pectoral  or  White-rumped  Sandpipers  were  seen  that  day.  This 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  106. 
*  O.  and  O.,  vii,  24,  p.  189. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  57 

bird  was  an  adult  male  with  rather  undeveloped  genitalia,  its 
remarkably  unworn  plumage  also  indicating  that  it  had  not  bred. 
In  general  coloring  it  resembles  P.  fuscicollis  in  breeding  plumage, 
the  rump  more  nearly  approaching  that  of  P.  maculata.  The 
upper  tail  coverts  are  white,  the  feathers,  as  a  rule,  broadly  banded 
or  striped  with  brown.  The  breast  feathers  are  washed  with 
brownish,  as  in  P.  maculata,  and  their  dark  centers  are  broader 
than  in  P.  fuscicollis.  In  measurements  this  bird  is  exactly  half- 
way between  males  of  the  two  species,  and  practically  identical 
with  females  of  P.  maculata:  length,  8.25  in. ;  extent,  16.62 ;  ex- 
posed culmen,  1.07;  wing,  5.07;  tail,  2.46;  tarsus,  1.12;  middle 
toe  with  nail,  I  in.  The  sternum  also  is  about  the  size  of  that 
of  the  female  P.  maculata,  and  intermediate  between  males  of 
the  two  species. 

Pisobia  fuscicollis  (Vieillot).     White-rumped  Sandpiper. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  migrant  on  the  coast  in  September 
and  October.  Rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  Aug.  24,  1895. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  19,  1904;  Lyme,  Oct.  21, 
1893  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  Branford,  Oct.  23,  1905  (L.  C.  S.). 

Adults  pass  during  September,  Aug.  24  (1895)  to  Sept.  30 
(1886).  The  young  follow  in  October,  Sept.  30  (1894)  to  Oct. 
19  (1904). 

Inland  records.  Oct.  30,  1891,  Oct.  24,  1895,  East  Hartford 
(W.  E.  T.,  latter  specimen  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Unusual  records.  Nov.  4,  1896,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North 
Haven,  a  wounded  bird  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  19,  1904,  same 
place,  one  seen  (L.  B.  B.). 

Pisobia  bairdi  (Coues).     Baird's  Sandpiper. 

A  rare  and  probably  accidental  fall  migrant. 

Connecticut  records.  Oct.  28,  1887,  West  Haven,  a  female 
shot,  Oct.  19,  1889,  a  male  shot  (L.  B.  W.)  j1  Nov.  3,  1888,  Strat- 
ford, female  taken  (C.  K.  A.,  Jr.)  f  Sept.  29,  1894,  Bridgeport, 
two  taken  by  H.  H.  Taylor  (Eames).;  fall,  1901,  Saybrook, 
several  taken  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  Sept.  14,  1904,  West  Haven,  young 


1  Auk,  vii,  i,  p.  89. 
a  Auk,  vi,  2,  p.   189. 


58  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

male  taken  by  A.  Gaming  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  9,  1910, 
Bridgeport,  female  taken  (H.  W.  B.). 

Pisobia  minutilla  (Vieillot).     Least  Sandpiper. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  along  the  coast ;  not  rare 
inland. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  8, 
1900,  May  6,  1905  (A.  A.  S.).  Latest  record.  June  5,  1894. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  July  14,  1904. 
Latest  record.  Sept.  22,  1883. 

The  old  birds  pass  south  about  the  middle  of  July,  and  the 
young  birds  follow  during  August  and  the  first  half  of  September. 

Inland  records.  May  19,  1883,  Portland,  one  taken  (in  coll. 
of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  9,  1892,  Middletown,  four  killed  (in  coll.  of 
J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  23,  1893,  East  Hartford  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  May  17, 
1895,  Portland,  three  shot  by  C.  H.  N.  (two  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Pelidna  alpina  sakhalina  (Vieillot).    Red-backed  Sandpiper. 

A  rare  spring  and  tolerably  common  late  fall  migrant  along 
the  coast. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  25,  1903. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  29,  1895. 

Spring  record.  May  19,  1904,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North 
Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Almost  all  specimens  of  this  Sandpiper  taken  in  Connecticut 
are  young  birds. 

A  young  female  in  the  collection  of  L.  B.  B.,  shot  by  A. 
Ganung  in  West  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1904,  is  almost  as  small  as  a 
European  Dunlin  (Pelidna  alpina  alpina}  :  length,  8.44;  culmen, 
1.42;  wing,  4.51;  tarsus,  1.12.  It  was  very  lean,  as  if  it  had 
traveled  far  without  resting,  whereas  our  Red-backed  Sand- 
pipers are  usually  very  fat  in  the  fall.  It  is  only  a  trifle  larger 
than  an  adult  female  Dunlin  from  England;  but,  as  the  chief 
character  separating  these  races  is  the  length  of  the  bill,  and  as 
the  bills  of  most  sandpipers  do  not  reach  their  full  size  until  late 
in  the  first  fall,  it  seems  safer  to  consider  this  bird  merely  an 
unusually  small  Red-backed  Sandpiper. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  59 

Ereunetes  pusillus  (Linnaeus).     Semipalmated  Sandpiper. 

An  abundant  spring  and  fall  migrant  on  the  coast;  not  rare 
inland. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  n, 
1897.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  June  I,  1894. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  July  30,  1896. 
Latest  record.  Oct.  23,  1894. 

The  adults  go  south  in  August,  Aug.  2  (1894)  to  Aug.  27 
(1895),  and  the  young  follow  in  August,  September,  and  October, 
Aug.  9  (1882)  to  Oct.  23  (1894). 

Inland  records.  Sept.  25,  1890,  Middletown,  one  killed  (J. 
H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  7,  1891,  Middletown,  seen  by  W.  E.  T.  and  S.  R. 

A  partially  albinistic  young  female  with  the  wings  largely 
white,  in  the  collection  of  L.  B.  B.,  was  taken  in  West  Haven, 
Oct.  2,  1903,  by  A.  Ganung. 

Breeding  record.  The  only  breeding  record  is  that  appearing 
in  Merriam,1  of  the  four  eggs  found  by  Nichols  in  Branford, 
July  20,  1877;  but  an  examination  of  the  only  one  of  these  four 
eggs  now  extant  (in  the  Brewer  collection  in  the  Museum  of 
Comparative  Zoology,  Cambridge),  by  Mr.  Outram  Bangs  and 
L.  B.  B.,  has  proven  this  to  be  an  unusually  small  egg  of  Actitis 
macularia.  It  does  not  resemble  eggs  of  either  the  Semipalmated 
or  the  Least  Sandpiper  in  shape,  color,  or  markings,  while  in  all 
these  respects  it  is  typical  of  Actitis  macularia.  We  have  there- 
fore no  breeding  record  of  E.  pusillus. 

Ereunetes  mauri  Cabanis.    Western  Sandpiper. 

Probably  occurs  regularly  in  the  fall,  but  in  so  small  numbers 
as  to  escape  notice. 

Connecticut  records.  Sept.  4,  1889,  Lyme,  six  seen  and  three 
shot  by  W.  E.  T.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  f  Aug.  17,  1892,  Clinton, 
young  female  taken  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Aug.  27,  1895,  Quinnipiac 
Marshes,  North  Haven,  young  female  shot  (L.  B.  B.). 

Calidris  leucophaea  (Pallas).     Sanderling. 
Formerly  an  abundant  spring  and  fall  migrant ;  now  rare,  and 
occurring  regularly  only  in  the  fall. 


1  Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  p.    105. 
3  Auk,  ix,  4,  p.  389. 


60  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  20,  1902. 
Latest  record.  Oct.  20,  1902. 

Spring  record.  May  13,  1878,  Saybrook,  one  male  taken  by 
H.  W.  F.  (in  coll.  of  Brewster). 

Inland  record.  Sept.  12,  1894,  one  male  taken  at  East  Hart- 
ford by  W.  E.  T.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford.  Merriam1  says  it  "  occurs  during 
migrations,  and  is  extremely  abundant  in  fall." 

Limosa  fedoa  (Linnaeus).    Marbled  Godwit. 

Connecticut  records.  Aug.,  1842,  Stratford,  an  adult  female 
( ?)  (Linsley,  in  coll.  of  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.)  ;  Aug.  26,  1909,  West 
Haven,  adult  female  shot  by  Wm.  Ganung  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Limosa  haemastica  (Linnaeus).    Hudsonian  Godwit. 

Connecticut  records.    Stratford  (Linsley2  and  E.  H.  Austin).1 

On  page  178  in  the  copy  of  Nuttall's  Ornithology  (Water 
Birds)  owned  by  the  late  Dr.  J.  Barratt,  of  Middletown,  Conn., 
is  the  following  marginal  note,  in  his  handwriting,  relating  to 
this  species :  "  A  pair  shot  by  Jenkins  Oct.  25,  1845  —  these  were 
bought  by  me  and  set  up."  (J.  H.  S.) 

Oct.  30,  1852,  Lyme,  taken  by  Jno.  C.  Comstock  (MS.  Journal 
of  Jno.  C.  Comstock,  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  n,  1897,  Little  River 
Marshes,  Middletown,  one  shot  by  L.  E.  King  (in  coll.  of  J. 
H.  S.). 

Totanus  melanoleucus  (Gmelin).     Greater  Yellow-legs. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  more  common  fall  migrant, 
but  becoming  rarer  at  both  seasons. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  21, 
1897;  Portland,  May  3,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  June 
4,  1900;  Portland,  June  5,  1882;  Litchfield,  June  9,  1905 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  3,  1886; 
Portland,  Sept.  24,  1881.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  3, 
1906;  Portland,  Oct.  27,  1894. 

Unusual  records.  March  25,  1893,  West  Haven  (L.  C.  S.)  ; 
Nov.  22,  1895,  West  Haven,  wounded  bird  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  July, 

1  Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   107. 

*Am.  Jour,  of  Sci.  and  Arts,  [i]  xliv,  2,  p.  267. 

•Avcrill,  Birds  of  Bridgeport,  p.  8. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  6l 

1897,  New  Haven,  ten  taken  (Trowbridge)  ;  Dec.  n,  1902,  Port- 
land (J.  H.  S.). 

Tetanus  flavipes  (Gmelin).    Yellow-legs. 

A  common  fall  migrant  on  the  coast;  less  common  on  the 
inland  waterways. 

Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  July  26,  1894. 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  Nov.  10,  1883. 

The  young  pass  south  in  August  and  September,  July  30 
(1896)  to  Oct.  13  (1903). 

Spring  records.  May  7,  1877,  near  Meriden,  on  a  fresh-water 
pond  (Merri'am)  j1  May  20,  1897,  New  Haven,  one  seen 
(L.  B.  W.  ). 

Summer  record.  July  21,  1900,  North  Haven,  eighteen  taken 
(H.  W.  R). 

Helodromas  solitarius  solitarius  (Wilson).  Solitary  Sand- 
piper. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May,  August, 
and  September. 

Spring  migration.     Earliest  record.     New  Haven,  May  10, 

1898,  April  29,  1905  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  I,  1905;  Litch- 
field,  April  27,  1905  (E.  S.  W.).    Latest  record.     New  Haven, 
May  26,  1882;  Portland,  May  19,  1909;  Litchfield,  May  31,  1892 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  7,  1903; 
Portland,  Sept.  8,  1887.  Latest  record,  New  Haven,  Oct.  6,  1897; 
Portland,  Oct.  13,  1892. 

Unusual  records.  June  10  (Grinnell).1  East  Hartford,  July 
19,  1887,  one  shot,  July  14,  1888  (W.  E.  T.). 

Catoptrophorus  semipalmatus  semipalmatus  (Gmelin). 
Willet. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  found  it  breeding  at  Stratford. 
Merriam1  records  that  Grinnell  took  it  late  in  the  summer  at  Mil- 
ford,  and  that  W.  W.  C.  took  a  nest  containing  three  eggs  at 
Madison,  June  5,  1873.  An  adult  in  the  Linsley  collection  of  the 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   108. 


62  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.  and  a  young  specimen  in  the  Averill  collection  of 
the  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.  were  taken  at  Stratford,  the  latter  on  Aug. 
9,  1888.  Aug.  12,  1887,  West  Haven,  one  from  a  flock  of  three 
shot  by  W.  G.  Van  Name. 

Catoptrophorus  semipalmatus  inornatus  (Brewster).  West- 
ern Willet. 

Connecticut  records.  Sept.  3,  1885,  West  Haven,  one  young 
taken  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Oct.,  1888,  Fayerweather  Island, 
found  dead  by  Averill  (subspecies  doubtful)  ;  Aug.  15,  1897,  Stony 
Creek,  two  taken  from  small  flock  by  A.  H.  V.  (  in  coll.  of  A. 
E.  V.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.,  1904,  West  Haven,  eighteen  taken  by 
A.  Ganung  [?];  Aug.  26,  1909,  West  Haven,  one  young  (W. 
Ganung,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Bartramia  longicauda  (Bechstein).  Upland  Plover.  Bartra- 
mian  Sandpiper. 

Formerly  a  common  summer  resident,  breeding  here;  now  a 
rare  spring  and  fall  migrant,  more  often  heard  than  seen  when 
migrating. 

Spring  records.  May  2,  1874,  Portland,  three  seen  (J.  H. 
S.)  ;  May  3,  1901,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  10,  1905,  Litch- 
field  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  May  30,  1907,  Washington  (L.  B.  B.).1 

Fall  records.  Sept.  20,  1882,  West  Haven  (Baldwin)  ;  Sept 
i,  1886,  Guilford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Aug.  30,  1886,  Aug.  13,  1895,  1903, 
New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  6,  1901,  Litchfield  (  E.  S.  W.)  ; 
Sept.  5,  1910,  Bridgeport,  male  taken  (H.  W.  B.). 

Summer  records.  Aug.  i,  1885,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  July  3, 
1888,  Litchfield  (L.  B.  W.) ;  July  27,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 

Season  unrecorded.  1873,  Stamford,  several  seen  in  hands 
of  a  taxidermist  (Hoyt)  ;  1874-6,  Greenwich  Point,  seen  (Hoyt). 

Breeding  records.  Merriam2  was  informed  by  W.  W.  C. 
(1877)  that  large  numbers  of  them  bred  on  Plum  Island  off  New 
London;  June  8,  1879,  Winchester,  a  set  of  eggs  taken  by  Wil- 
liams (H.  K.  J.)  ;3  May,  1902,  Torrington,  a  pair  evidently 
breeding  found  by  Hanson  (H.  K.  J.)  ;3  summer,  1904,  Litchfield, 
pair  with  young  seen  (reported  by  E.  S.  W.). 

i  Bird  Lore,  ix,  5,  p.  217. 

'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  109. 

3  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  295. 


No.  2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  63 

Tryngites  subruficollis  (Vieillot).    Buff-breasted  Sandpiper. 

A  rare  straggler  in  the  fall. 

Merriam1  (1877)  records  that  J.  G.  Ely  reports  two  killed 
near  Saybrook  "  a  few  years  ago,"  and  Dr.  Crary  has  one  in  his 
collection  shot  near  Hartford  "  some  years  ago." 

Sept.  6,  1889,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  a  young 
male  taken  (E.  L.  Munson,  in  coll.  of  Porter)  ;  Sept.  30,  1895, 
same  place,  a  young  male  (C.  C.  Trowbridge). 

Actitis  macularia  (Linnaeus).     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  to  August,  the  adults 
almost  all  going  south  before  the  middle  of  July. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  22,  1889,  1903 ;  Portland, 
April  1 8,  1899. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  27,  1882;  Portland,  Oct. 
15,  1895. 

Nest.  Eggs  laid  in  a  field  of  grain,  the  grass  of  a  meadow, 
or  a  clump  of  weeds,  usually  not  far  from  the  water. 

Eggs.     4;  laid  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  24,  1897,  four  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  June  19,  1893,  four  eggs  (Watrous)  ; 
July  2,  1904,  two  eggs,  almost  hatched,  but  deserted  (L.  B.  B.). 

Numenius  americanus  Bechstein.    Long-billed  Curlew. 

The  only  records  for  this  species  in  addition  to  Linsley' s  record 
of  taking  it  at  Stratford  appear  in  Merriam:1  Capt.  Brooks, 
Faulkner's  Island,  reported  that  "  occasionally  one  stops  here  in 
the  fall;"  summer,  1873,  Milford,  seen  by  Grmnell;  Saybrook, 
sometimes  occurs  in  the  fall,  but  rare  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  taken  near  Hart- 
ford (Dr.  Crary). 

A  young  bird  of  this  species  is  in  the  Linsley  collection  of  the 
Bpt.  Sci.  Soc. 

Numenius  hudsonicus  Latham.    Hudsonian  Curlew. 
A  rare  straggler  in  spring  and  fall. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford,  and  Dr. 
Crary  at  Hartford.1  Shot  at  Lyme,  Sept.  27,  1853,  by  J.  C.  Com- 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  109. 


64  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

stock,  and  his  MS.  journal  contains  this  entry:  "  Lyme,  Aug. 
1 6,  1858,  large  flocks  of  this  species  "  (J.  H.  S.).  Aug.  27,  1877, 
Saybrook,  two  specimens  killed  (one  in  coll.  of  W.  W.  C.)  ; 
June  4,  1886,  East  Haven,  one  shot  (Mitchell,  in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ; 
July  26,  1890,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven,  one  seen  (L. 
C.  S.  and  Trowbridge)  ;  c.  May  18,  1896,  Milford  (in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  19,  1900,  New  Haven,  three  shot  (seen  in  mar- 
ket by  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  20,  1904,  West  Haven,  young  female  taken 
by  A.  Ganung  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  13,  1909,  Sept.  4, 
1911,  Fairfield  (H.  W.  B.). 

i 

Numenius  borealis  (J.  R.  Forster).     Eskimo  Curlew. 
Formerly  an  accidental  visitor  in  the  fall  migration. 
Connecticut  records.     Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford,  and  J.  N. 
C.  has  a  fine  specimen  killed  at  Saybrook,  Oct.  13,  1874;*  Sept., 
1886,  West  River  Marshes,   New  Haven,  one  killed  by  flying 
against  a  wire,  given  to  L.  C.   S. ;  Sept.   12,   1889,  Quinnipiac 
Marshes,  New  Haven,  a  male  taken  by  E.  L.  Munson  (in  coll. 
Of  Porter). 

Family  CHARADRIIDJE.     Plovers. 

Squatarola  squatarola  (Linnaeus).     Black-bellied  Plover. 

The  young  are  sometimes  tolerably  common  along  the  coast 
in  the  fall  migration,  but  the  adults  are  always  rare. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  28, 
1894.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  30,  1894. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  13,  1904; 
Stamford,  Sept.  2,  1892  (Porter).  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
Oct.  21,  1903. 

Linsley  took  it  at  Stratford.  Merriam2  recorded  the  taking 
of  a  specimen  in  the  fall  (no  date)  at  the  mouth  of  the  Con- 
necticut River  by  W.  W.  C.,  and  several  taken  by  Dr.  F.  W.,Hall, 
Oct.  1 8,  1873.  An  adult  female  in  the  collection  of  Porter  was 
taken  at  Stamford,  Sept.  2,  1892. 

Charadrius  dominicus  dominicus  (Miiller).     Golden  Plover. 
A  rare  fall  migrant ;  formerly  "  common  during  migrations."2 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   109. 
9 Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  102. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  65 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  Guilford,  Aug.  27,  1883. 
Latest  record.  West  Haven,  Oct.  25,  1909  (A.  Ganung). 

Merriam1  records  that  Capt.  Brooks  informed  him  that  they 
were  "  plenty  at  Guilford  in  spring  and  early  fall,"  and  occa- 
sional in  the  fall,  at  Faulkner's  Island ;  Linsley  found  it  at  Strat- 
ford, and  W.  W.  C.  recorded  it  from  Portland. 

Other  records.  "  Plentiful  at  Lyme,  Sept.  i,  1858,  104  being 
shot  on  that  day  by  John  Grumley  "  (MS.  notes  of  J.  C.  Corn- 
stock,  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Aug.  27,  30,  1883,  Guilford,  three  adults  seen 
and  one  secured  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  24,  1885,  Hartford,  a  young 
male  flushed  from  a  stubble  field  (W.  E.  T.)  ;2  Sept.  3,  1886, 
Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven  [?],  a  young  bird  taken  (A. 
H.  V.,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  Sept.  12,  1889,  same  place,  one 
taken  (Munson)  ;  Oct:  17,  1893,  Portland,  one  shot  (in  coll.  of 
J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  25  to  Oct.  2,  1903,  West  Haven,  about  twenty 
taken  (A.  Ganung)  ;  Sept.  20-1,  1904,  four  young,  Oct.  20,  1906, 
fifteen,  Oct.  7,  1907,  two,  Sept.  15,  Oct.  25,  1909,  one,  all  at 
West  Haven  (A.  Ganung,  many  of  these  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Sept.  19,  1908,  Sept.  10,  1909,  Sept.  4,  1911,  Stratford 
(H.  W.  B.). 

Oxyechus  vociferus    (Linnaeus).     Killdeer. 

A  rather  rare  summer  resident,  apparently  increasing  during 
the  last  decade. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  6,  1902;  Portland,  Feb. 
24,  1875  (W.  W.  C.).1 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  27,  1911  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  Middle- 
town,  Nov.  6,  1908  (J.  H.  S.). 

Connecticut  records.  Mr.  J.  C.  Comstock,  in  his  MS.  notes, 
records  seeing  them  at  Lyme  during  the  whole  winter  of  1851-2 
(J.  H.  S.) ;  April  5,  1875,  Middletown,  male  killed  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
March  12,  1886,  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  Aug.  4,  1886,  Quinnipiac 
Marshes,  North  Haven,  one  taken  (Munson)  ;  April  22,  1887, 
New  Haven  (L.  B.  W.,  one  in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  April  16, 
1888,  New  Haven  (Webb)  ;  summer,  1889,  North  Haven  (Mun- 
son) ;  Feb.  i,  1889,  May  23,  1902,  May  25,  July  2,  1904,  taken, 
Sept.  15,  1902,  Aug.  13,  1903,  heard,  near  New  Haven  (L.  B. 
B.)  ;  Nov.,  1892,  New  Haven  (seen  in  gun  store,  Dec.,  by  L. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   102. 

^  Auk,  iv,    i,  p.   78. 

5 


66  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

B.  B.)  ;  July  28,  1894,  Bloomfield,  adult  and  young  (W.  E.  T., 
in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Aug.  18,  1894,  East  Haven,  three  shot, 
Aug.  21,  one  shot  (recorded  by  H.  W.  F.)  ;  July  9,  1896,  East 
Hartford,  adult  and  young  (W.  E.  T.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May, 
1901,  Newtown  (Hamlin)  ;  March  6,  1902,  Stony  Creek  (in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  July  17-18,  1905,  Mt.  Tom  (H.  Sanford)  ;  Oct.  8, 
1906,  one,  Oct.  n,  three,  Oct.  13,  one  shot,  West  Haven  (A. 
Ganung,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  6,  1908,  Middletown  (in  coll. 
of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  March  18,  1911,  Milford,  male  (H.  W.  B.)  ;  Oct. 
27,  1911,  West  Haven  (H.  K.  J.). 

Breeding  records.  According  to  Merriam,1  W.  W.  C.  in- 
formed him  (1877)  that  it  bred  on  Plum  Island  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  Portland;  Guilford,  two  eggs  collected  many  years 
ago  (E.  C.  M.  Hall,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  "  about  twenty  years 
ago,"  a  set  of  eggs  taken  in  Winchester  by  Williams  (H.  K.  J.)  f 
May  14,  1898,  Darien,  four  eggs  taken  (Howes)  ;3  July,  1901, 
Bridgewater,  nest  with  four  eggs  found  (recorded  by  G.  L.  Ham- 
lin) ;  1906,  Danbury,  a  pair  watched  nesting  and  rearing  their 
young  (G.  L.  Hamlin).  Formerly  nested  in  Bloomfield  in  con- 
siderable numbers. 

An  unusual  flight  of  Killdeer  took  place  along  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  the  latter  part  of  November,  1888.  Only  two  speci- 
mens, however,  were  reported  from  Connecticut.4 

JEgialitis  semipalmata  (Bonaparte).     Semipalmated  Plover. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  along  the  coast  in  May, 
August,  and  September;  rare  inland. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  n, 
1897;  East  Haven,  May  I,  1880  (Woolsey).  Latest  record.  New 
Haven,  June  I,  1894. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  July  30,  1896. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  31,  1902. 

Inland  records.  June  4,  1875,  Portland,  female  taken  by  C. 
H.  N.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  17,  1891,  East  Hartford,  one 
shot  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  May  22,  1894,  Portland,  specimen  shot  by  C. 
H.  N.;  June  3,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   102. 
'Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  296. 
aOologist,  xxviii,    1911,  p.    151. 
4Chadbourne,  Auk,  vi.  3,  pp.  255-263. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  67 

JEgialitis  meloda   (Ord).     Piping  Plover. 

Formerly  a  summer  resident  of  the  sandy  beaches;  now 
nearly  or  quite  extinct  in  the  breeding  season,  and  very  rare  in 
the  migrations. 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam1  recorded  that  it  had  been 
found  breeding  at  Stratford  (Linsley)  and  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C), 
and  W.  W.  C.  has  taken  it  at  Portland;  Samuels2  (1872)  stated 
that  it  was  "  pretty  abundantly  distributed  along  the  coast  of 
New  England  as  a  summer  resident ;"  Aug.  29,  1886,  West  Haven, 
one  taken  by  E.  L.  Munson;  May  28,  1888,  Bridgeport,  an  adult 
male  collected  by  C.  K.  A.  (in  coll.  of  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.)  ;  Sept.,  1904, 
New  Haven  Harbor,  one  seen  by  L.  C.  S. 

Ochthodromus  wilsonius  (Ord).     Wilson's  Plover. 
Accidental  visitant. 

Taken  at  Stratford  by  Linsley.1  Seen  at  Bridgeport,  July  28, 
i888.3 

Family  APHRIZIM:.     Surf-birds  and  Turnstones. 
Subfamily  ARENARIIN^:.     Turnstones. 

Arenaria  interpres  morinella  (Linnaeus).  Ruddy  Turnstone. 

A  rather  rare  migrant  frequenting  the  rocky  islands  in  the 
Sound.  Occasional  about  inland  waters. 

Connecticut  records.  Aug.  14,  1883,  Faulkner's  Island, 
several  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  I,  1883,  June  27,  1884,  several  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  9,  1885,  New  Haven  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  May 
24,  1886,  Saugatuck  (in  coll.  of  E.  S.  W.)  ;  May  13,  1888,  Port- 
land, one  killed  by  J.  L.  Goff;  Aug.  20,  1904,  West  Haven  (A. 
Ganung,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.,  1904,  West  Haven  (seen  by 
L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  I,  5,  1910,  Stratford  (H.  W.  B.). 

Hsematopus  palliatus  Temminck.     Oyster-catcher. 

The  only  record  is  that  of  Linsley,4  who  says  (1843)  :  "  The 
Oyster-catcher  is  now  rare  here,  but  fifteen  years  since  they  were 
not  very  uncommon  in  autumn." 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  102. 
a  Samuels,  Birds  of  New  England,  p.  421. 
"Averill,  Birds  of  Bridgeport,  p.  9. 

*Am.  Jour.  Sci.  and  Arts,   [i]  xliv,  p.  265;  quoted  by  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn., 
p.   103. 


68  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Order  GALLING.     Gallinaceous  Birds. 

Suborder  PHASIANI.      Pheasants,  Grouse,  Partridges, 
Quails,  etc. 

Family  ODONTOPHORID^E.     Bob-whites,  Quails,  etc. 

Colinus  virginianus  virginianus  (Linnaeus).    Bob-white. 

A  common  resident,  especially  near  the  coast,  but  rather  rare 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state. 

Nest.  Eggs  laid  on  a  bed  of  leaves,  on  the  ground  in  a  field 
or  meadow. 

Eggs.     10-32 ;  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  4,  1902,  twenty  eggs 
(Beers  and  J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  7,  1892,  fourteen 
eggs  (Beers). 

A  nest  containing  thirty- two  eggs  of  this  species  (possibly  laid 
by  two  females)  was  seen  in  North  Haven  by  H.  W.  F.  in  the 
spring  of  1903,  and  on  revisiting  the  nest  a  few  days  later  he 
found  that  all  had  hatched. 

This  species  suffered  severely  during  the  cold  winters  of 
1903-4  and  1904-5,  and  was  almost  exterminated  over  a  large 
part  of  the  state.  Since  then,  and  for  some  years  earlier,  large 
numbers  of  Quail  from  the  South  and  West  have  been  released, 
so  that  now  it  is  impossible  to  determine  what  proportion  of 
Connecticut  Quail  are  descendants  of  the  original  stock. 

Family  TETRAONID^.     Grouse,  Spruce  Partridges, 
Ptarmigans,  etc. 

Bonasa  umbellus  umbellus  (Linnaeus).    Ruffed  Grouse. 

A  common  resident. 

Nest.  Eggs  laid  on  the  ground  under  a  log  or  fence  or  at  the 
foot  of  a  stump  in  the  woods  or  brush  land. 

Eggs.     12-16;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  4,  1892,  fifteen  eggs 
(Beers).  Latest  record.  May  26,  1885,  thirteen  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

An  interesting  albino  taken  by  Mr.  C.  E.  Ailing,  Litchfield, 
Oct.,  1903,  is  entirely  grayish  or  yellowish-white,  the  latter  shade 
predominating  on  the  head  and  upper  parts.  The  dark  mark- 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  69 

ings  of  the  plumage  are  plainly  indicated  in  slate  gray.  Many  of 
the  tail  feathers,  although  of  full  length,  are  still  encased  in  their 
pin-feather  sheaths,  except  at  the  tips. 

Bonasa  umbellus  togata  (Linnaeus).    Canada  Ruffed  Grouse. 

Two  Grouse  taken  by  E.  S.  W.  in  Litchfield,  about  Nov.  28, 
1906,  and  given  in  the  flesh  to  L.  B.  B.,  .belong  to  this  subspecies, 
as  do  others  collected  there  by  E.  S.  W. 

Order  COLUMB-2E.     Pigeons  and  Doves. 
Family  COLUMBIDJE.     Pigeons  and  Doves. 

Ectopistes  migratorius  (Linnaeus).     Passenger  Pigeon. 

Formerly  very  abundant  during  migrations  and  occasionally 
breeding.  Now  virtually  extinct. 

The  latest  definite  record  we  have  of  the  presence  of  this  bird 
in  Connecticut  is  of  one  adult  male  and  three  young  which  Mr. 
Outram  Bangs  tells  us  he  saw  within  thirty  yards  near  Willi- 
mantic  early  in  October,  1901. 

Mr.  Hoyt  informs  us  the  last  record  for  Stamford  was  that 
of  a  female  shot  there  in  the  fall  of  1879;  a  young  male  taken 
by  Andrew  Bassett  near  Lake  Saltonstall  in  October,  1882,  is 
the  last  taken  and  preserved  near  New  Haven  (in  coll.  of  L.  B. 
B.)  ;  and  a  young  male  shot  Oct  i,  1889,  is  the  last  record  for 
Portland  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

A  flock  of  about  two  hundred  doves,  some  of  which  were 
certainly  Passenger  Pigeons,  was  seen  by  L.  B.  B.  in  North  Guil- 
ford  on  Sept.  4,  1883 ;  a  single  bird  was  seen  by  him  on  Prospect 
Street,  New  Haven,  May  13,  1882,  and  others  in  Guilford  on 
Sept.  n,  1883.  A  pair  of  very  large  wild  pigeons,  believed  to 
be  of  this  species,  was  seen  in  East  Haven  by  H.  W.  F.  and 
L.  B.  B.,  May  20,  1893.  In  Portland  J.  H.  S.  recorded  this 
species  April  7,  16,  May  13,  and  Sept.  26,  1887. 

As  to  the  abundance  of  the  species  at  one  time,  Mr.  Henry 
Townshend  tells  L.  B.  B.  that  his  uncles  have  told  him  that  in 
the  old  days  it  was  an  easy  thing  on  a  "  pigeon  morning "  in 
September  to  shoot  enough  of  these  birds  before  breakfast  to 
load  a  hay-wagon,  with  the  sides  on,  full  to  the  brim. 

"  Pigeon  mornings  "  were  the  cool,  frosty  mornings  of  late 


70  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

September  and  early  October.  To  the  top  of  the  highest  trees 
on  the  summit  of  the  low  hills  east  of  New  Haven  long  poles 
were  fastened  at  an  angle  of  about  thirty  degrees  from  a  per- 
pendicular, and  near  the  bases  of  these  trees  huts  of  leafy 
branches  were  built  in  such  a  position  that  the  hunter  hiding 
within  could  rake  the  pole  with  a  discharge  of  his  gun.  The 
migrating  pigeons  would  alight  on  these  poles,  and  great  num- 
bers were  often  killed  in  the  early  morning  hours.  Such  pigeon- 
ambushes  L.  B.  B.  well  remembers  seeing  often  in  the  seventies. 
The  pigeons  were  probably  migrating  along  the  coast,  and  L. 
B.  B.  has  been  told  that  after  stopping  for  a  few  minutes  on 
these  hills  they  would  fly  to  the  salt-marshes  of  the  Quinnipiac. 
Regarding  one  of  the  last,  if  not  the  last,  flight  of  any  size 
recorded  from  Connecticut,  Mr.  Hill  writes  us.  "  On  the  after- 
noon of  September  10,  1876,  the  writer  and  William  Colfax  went 
to  Groton,  across  the  river  from  New  London,  to  shoot  plover 
or  shore  birds  that  usually  come  along  about  this  time  during 
the  fall  migration.  The  wind  had  been  blowing  heavily  from  the 
northwest  for  some  days.  Nearing  our  destination,  we  observed 
flocks  of  birds  circling  and  hovering  over  the  woods  near  by. 
Investigation  and  a  shot  brought  to  hand  birds  we  thought  and 
proved  to  be  wild  pigeons.  We  bagged  about  three  dozen,  and 
when  we  turned  homeward  we  could  see  flock  after  flock  come 
along  and  alight  in  the  woods  for  food  and  rest.  None  flew  over 
the  river,  for  it  was  near  sunset.  That  evening  I  made  arrange- 
ments with  Hiram  Chappell  (still  living)  to  try  the  pigeons 
again,  and  we  were  on  the  grounds  by  daylight  next  morning, 
the  nth,  and  soon  the  pigeons  commenced  to  fly  about,  and  I 
shot  ninety-six  and  my  friend  as  many  more.  It  seemed  to  us 
that  the  whole  town,  as  well  as  the  inhabitants  of  Groton,  were 
out  gunning  for  pigeons.  Old  flint-locks,  queen's  arms,  and  boys 
with  gun  locks  tied  on  with  string  —  any  kind  of  firearm  that 
could  kill  a  pigeon  was  called  into  service.  The  height  of  the 
flight  was  on  this  day.  The  large  flocks  were  the  most  wary, 
flying  high  in  air,  and  were  made  up  of  many  small  flocks  that 
had  evidently  been  detached  and  scattered  in  quest  of  food,  and 
when  on  their  way  to  catch  up  with  the  main  flight  their  speed 
was  marvelous.  The  Thames  river,  at  its  mouth,  the  point 
where  the  pigeons  finally  crossed  as  they  flew  to  the  westward, 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  71 

is  about  a  mile  wide,  and  many  flocks  would  easily  span  this 
distance  by  one-half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide.  The  total 
number  of  pigeons  in  this  flight  was  something  wonderful  and 
astounding.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  The  flight  lasted  two  days. 
You  ask  how  many  pigeons  were  in  the  flight?  Seventy-five  to 
one  hundred  thousand.  And  how  many  were  killed?  Remem- 
ber the  shooting  was  going  on  on  both  sides  of  the  river;  say 
sixty  shooters  averaged  forty  or  fifty  pigeons  per  man,  2500  per 
day.  Two  days,  5000.  This  is  a  conservative  estimate.  Every- 
body had  pigeon  pot-pie.  As  to  ammunition,  the  boys  always  tell 
that  on  the  two  days  the  only  available  shot  to  be  had  was  buck 
shot.  Ammunition  dealers  were  cleaned  out.  The  crops  of  the 
pigeons  were  filled  with  acorns.  Mr.  Chappell  and  I  have  gone 
over  the  event  carefully." 

One  morning  early  in  the  fall  during  the  seventies,  possibly 
at  the  same  date  recorded  by  Mr.  Hill,  L.  B.  B.  visited  Guilford 
and  found  the  Green  strewn  with  feathers  of  these  birds  that 
had  been  shot  during  a  flight  on  the  previous  day. 

On  May  6,  1897,  a  dove  was  flushed  by  L.  B.  B.  from  the 
borders  of  a  small  swamp  on  the  outskirts  of  New  Haven,  and 
to  his  surprise  two  eggs  were  seen  lying  on  a  few  leaves  on  the 
ground  in  an  open  space  about  one  foot  wide,  in  a  narrow  line 
of  alders,  that  stretched  between  a  small  clearing  and  the  swamp. 
The  eggs  impressed  him  as  unusually  large,  and  the  Mourning 
Dove  is  not  known  to  nest  on  the  ground  in  Connecticut.  A 
few  minutes  later  the  bird  was  again  flushed  from  the  nest,  and, 
after  flying  some  distance,  showing  an  unusually  white  tail, 
wide  spread,  as  it  flew,  returned  and  settled  in  a  tree  about  thirty 
yards  away.  There  it  was  watched  for  some  time  through 
powerful  opera-glasses;  but  the  light  was  not  very  good  and 
the  position  in  which  the  bird  sat  not  favorable  for  study.  It 
was  evidently  either  a  Passenger  Pigeon  or  a  Mourning  Dove, 
and  appeared  to  be  somewhat  larger  than  the  latter,  and  had 
distinct  dark  markings  near  the  tips  of  the  outer  greater  primary 
coverts.  These  markings  seem  to  be  usually  present  in  females 
of  E.  migratorius  and  not  in  females  of  Zenaidura  macroura 
carolinensis.  The  bird  would  not  allow  a  nearer  approach;  and, 
as  the  Passenger  Pigeon  was  practically  extinct  in  Connecticut, 
and  had  never  been  known  to  breed  on  the  ground,  L.  B.  B.  de^ 


72  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT,  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

cided  he  was  mistaken  in  thinking  the  size  of  the  eggs  abnormal, 
and  collected  them,  as  they  were  not  far  from  a  well  traveled 
road.  The  eggs  were  well  advanced  in  incubation  and  one  of 
them  slightly  nest-cracked.  They  measure,  respectively,  1.52 
inches  by  1.12,  and  1.51  by  1.12.  They  are  evidently  either  eggs 
of  the  Passenger  Pigeon,  or  eggs  of  the  Domestic  Dove  which  had 
been  substituted  by  some  one  for  eggs  of  the  Mourning  Dove. 
Dr.  Charles  W.  Richmond,  who  kindly  compared  these  eggs  with 
a  series  of  eggs  of  the  Passenger  Pigeon  in  the  U.  S.  National 
Museum,  informed  L.  B.  B.  that  they  had  more  gloss  than  any 
eggs  of  the  latter  in  the  collection,  but  that,  as  most  of  these 
eggs  had  been  taken  from  the  oviducts  of  birds  found  in  market, 
this  difference  was  not  conclusive.  Although  there  is  of  course 
no  possibility  of  certain  identification  the  incident  seems  worth 
recording. 

An  egg  in  the  cabinet  of  L.  B.  B.  was  collected  by  Mr.  A.  A. 
Kellogg  of  New  Haven,  in  New  Hartford  before  1870.  It  meas- 
ures 1.43  by  1.03  inches. 

In  the  collection  of  J.  H.  S.  are  two  eggs  taken  by  W.  W.  C. 
in  Portland.  One  was  found  May  29,  1873,  tne  male  pigeon 
being  on  the  nest  and  afterwards  shot  and  mounted;  the  other 
June  6,  1875.  J.  H.  S.  saw  the  latter  nest,  which  was  on  a  small 
tree  and  not  over  ten  feet  from  the  ground. 

Mr.  G.  L.  Hamlin  writes  that  they  formerly  bred  commonly 
near  Neversink  Pond.  Near  Bethel  he  knew  of  their  last  nesting 
in  1874,  the  nest  being  in  a  swamp  maple  near  the  edge  of  a  small 
tract  of  woodland ;  but  the  young  birds  were  taken  from  the  nest 
by  a  Cooper's  Hawk,  and  that  was  seen  by  his  father.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1880,  he  saw  the  last  large  flock,  some  500  birds.  In  August 
and  September,  1892,  a  flock  of  seven  frequented  a  field  of  buck- 
wheat near  his  home  in  Bethel  for  about  a  month,  and  one  bird 
he  shot  was  in  full  moult  and  therefore  not  preserved.  A  single 
bird  was  seen  by  him  in  1893,  and  no  more  until  September,  1902, 
when  for  some  time  a  flock  of  twenty-seven  frequented  a  field 
of  buckwheat  and  new  mown  rye.  Of  this  flock  all  he  was  able 
to  secure  were  the  feathers  of  wings  and  tail  of  one  that  had  been 
killed  by  a  hawk. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  73 

Zenaidura  macroura  carolinensis  (Linnseus).  Mourning 
Dove. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  April  to  October, 
decreasing  in  recent  years.  Occasionally  winters. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  18,  1882;  Portland, 
April  23,  1892. 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  Oct.  30,  1897;  Portland,  Nov. 

30,  l895- 

Winter  records.     Dec.    19,    1884,   Jan.   20,    1896,   Portland; 

Jan.  and  Feb.,  1894,  Lake  Saltonstall,  East  Haven  (A.  J.  G.)  ; 
last  week  in  Dec.,  1901,  North  Haven  (Ludington)  ;  Feb.  20, 
1882,  Melrose  (Thompson)  ;x  Jan.  16,  1883,  Saybrook  (J.  N. 
C.);2  Feb.  16,  1911,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

Nest.  Most  frequently  in  an  evergreen,  but  occasionally  in 
a  deciduous  tree  or  in  the  fork  of  a  kalmia,  at  the  height  of  from 
three  to  fifteen  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     2;  in  May. 

Nesting  date's.  Earliest  record.  April  29,  1894,  two  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  27,  1889,  Norwalk,  two  fresh 
eggs  (W.  I.  C.).3 

Order  RAPTORES.     Birds  of  Prey. 

Suborder  SARCORHAMPHI.     American  Vultures. 

Family  CATHARTID^E.     American  Vultures. 

Cathartes  aura  septentrionalis  Wied.  Turkey  Vulture; 
Turkey  Buzzard. 

A  rare  visitor  from  the  south. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  recorded  it  as  "  not  uncom- 
mon "  when  he  was  a  child,  "  having  at  that  period  counted 
twenty  in  a  flock  in  Northford  in  the  month  of  August;"  while 
an  old  hunter  told  J.  N.  C.  that  they  used  to  be  very  common 
about  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut;4  Merriam  further  records 
that  Dr.  W.  O.  Ayers  took  one  at  New  Haven  in  1853,  J.  N.  C. 
saw  them  at  Saybrook  prior  to  1873,  Dr.  Wood  saw  one  at  East 
Windsor  Hill  in  1874,  Rev.  J.  H.  Hand  took  one  at  Cromwell, 

*O.  and  O.,  vii,  23,  p.  181. 

aO.  and  O.,  viii,   10,  p.  80.     • 

*Oblogist,  vi,  12,  p.  231. 

*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.  91-2. 


74  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Sept.  23,  1874,  at  Westbrook,  Oct.  16,  18,  1875,  and  Grinnell 
reported  one  taken  by  Merwin  at  the  mouth  of  the  Housatonic 
River  in  June,  1875. 

Fall,  1879,  Stamford,  one  seen  (Hoyt)  ;  April  20,  1882,  North 
Stonington,  one  shot  by  O.  G.  Brown  (in  Peabody  Museum)  j1 
March  15,  1886,  East  Haven  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Aug.,  1888,  Stamford 
(Hoyt)  ;  April  23,  1893,  Stratford,  one  seen  (Eames)  ;  Aug.  31, 
1898,  Old  Lyme,  one  seen  (Brockway)  f  Aug.  17,  1902,  New 
Milford,  one  male  caught  by  W.  C.  Pomeroy  (H.  K.  J.,  in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.)  ;8  Aug.  21,  1902,  Torrington,  one  seen  by  Hanson 
(H.  K.  J.)  ;3  Aug.  27,  1902,  Gaylordsville,  one  seen  by  E.  H.  A. 
and  H.  K.  J. ;  summer,  1903,  Danbury,  one  wounded  and  kept 
in  captivity  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  May  19,  1907,  Danbury,  one  shot 
(J.  C.  A.  M.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Catharista  urubu  (Vieillot).     Black  Vulture. 

Besides  the  doubtful  record  referred  to  by  Merriam4  of  three 
specimens  killed  by  J.  H.  Hand  at  Westbrook,  Aug.  10,  Sept. 
12,  21,  1874,  the  only  records  for  Connecticut  are:  an  adult  male, 
shot  by  Robert  Payne  at  East  Lyme,  July  6,  1901  (in  coll.  of 
Hill)  ;5  and  a  specimen  seen  at  Bolton  reservoir,  Oct.  10,  1879, 
by  Dr.  Wm.  Wood  (MS.  note  to  J.  H.  S.). 

Suborder  FALCONES.      Vultures,    Falcons,  Hawks,    Buzzards, 
Eagles,  Kites,  Harriers,  etc. 

Family   BUTEONID^E.     Hawks,   Eagles,    Kites,   etc. 

Elanoides  forficatus  (Linnaeus).    Swallow-tailed  Kite. 

Connecticut  records.  Summer,  1861,  Portland,  one  seen, 
which  "  suddenly  dove  and  arose  with  a  snake  in  its .  talons," 
which  it  devoured  in  mid-air  (H.  W.  C.,  recorded  by  Merriam).;6 
July  2,  1877,  Lyme,  one  seen  (J.  G.  Ely,  recorded  by  Merriam)  ;6 
June  16,  1889,  Saybrook,  one  seen,  "  an  unmistakable  specimen, 
gracefully  soaring  in  slowly  receding  circles;  his  long,  pointed, 


1  O.  and  O.,  vii,   18,  p.   141. 

*Auk,  xv,  i,  p.  53. 

3  Job,   The    Sport   of  Bird   Study,   p.   296. 

4 Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  93. 

6 Auk,  xix,  1902,   i,  p.  94. 

•Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.   76-7. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  75 

narrow  wings,  fully  expanded  tail  with  the  outer  feathers  of 
great  length,  pure  white  under  parts  in  contrast  with  the  dark 
upper,  presented  distinctions  so  marked  from  all  other  native 
species  that  recognition  was  instantaneous  and  unmistakable " 
(J.  N.  C.)-1 

Circus  hudsonius  (Linnaeus).     Marsh  Hawk. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  April  to  October. 
Occasional  in  winter. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  22,  1884,  March  12, 
1887  (L.  B.  W.) ;  Portland,  April  i,  1882. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  n,  1903;  Portland,  Nov. 
3,  1908. 

Winter  records.  Feb.  8,  1882,  Dec.  18,  1903,  New  Haven 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  25,  1903,  Bristol  (F.  Bruen). 

Nest.  Often  built  of  sticks,  lined  with  grass,  and  located  on 
the  ground  or  on  a  slight  hillock  in  an  open  marsh  of  high 
grass. 

Eggs.    3  to  7;  the  middle  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  9,  1878  (C.  L.  R.).2 
Latest  record.  June  18,  1884,  three  eggs  (C.  L.  R.).3 

Accipiter  velox  (Wilson).     Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  Octo- 
ber; abundant  in  the  fall  migration  in  September  and  early  Octo- 
ber. Occasional  in  winter. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  19,  1904,  March  9, 
1887  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  March  27,  1886,  1899. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  4,  1897;  Portland,  Nov. 
23,  1909. 

Winter  records.  Feb.  4,  1881,  Jan.  19,  1887,  Feb.  22,  1890, 
Feb.  4,  Dec.  13,  1895,  Dec.  3,  8,  1898,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Dec.  13,  1900,  Woodbridge  (Smith,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan. 
14,  1902,  Northford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.  22,  1887,  New  Haven 
(L.  B.  W.). 

Nest.  Almost  invariably  in  a  hemlock  or  pine  tree,  occa- 
sionally in  a  maple,  10  to  50  feet  above  the  ground.  Nest  made 


1  O.  and  O.,  xiv,  8,  p.   123. 
2O.  and  O.,  ix,  2,  p.  16. 
8O.  and  O.,  x,  a,  p.  25. 


76  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

of  hemlock  or  pine  sticks  and  twigs,  the  larger  ones  on  the  out- 
side, the  smaller  ones  inside,  with  a  small  depression  for  the 
eggs. 

Eggs.     3  to  7,  usually  5 ;  toward  the  end  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  7,  1896,  two  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  26,  1883,  three  eggs  (C.  L.  R.).1 

C.  L.  R.  states  that2  "  the  first  clutch  almost  always  contains 
five,  but,  if  the  eggs  are  taken  successively  as  laid,  the  normal 
clutch  may  run  perhaps  to  fifteen  or  eighteen,"  e.  g.,  May  23, 
1880,  seventeen  eggs.1 

Both  ovaries  were  developed  in  17  of  20  females,  chiefly  young, 
examined  between  1902  and  1905  by  L.  B.  B. 

Accipiter  cooperi  (Bonaparte).     Cooper's  Hawk. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  April  to  October, 
though  more  common  during  the  migrations ;  occasionally  win- 
ters. This  species  is  annually  becoming  rarer  over  most  of  the 
state. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  16,  1887,  March  10, 
1888  (Webb)  ;  Portland,  March  14,  1898. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  19,  1904;  Portland,  Nov. 
12,  1904. 

Winter  records.  Feb.  20,  1888,  Feb.  i,  1894,  Dec.  30,  1902, 
New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  12,  1901,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Jan.  31,  1902,  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C). 

Nest.  In  a  hemlock  or  deciduous  tree,  usually  toward  the 
center  of  a  large  piece  of  woodland ;  30  to  70  feet  above  the 
ground. 

Eggs.    4  to  6 ;  usually  4  or  5 ;  about  the  middle  of  May. 

Ne'sting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  28,  1884,  one  egg  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  April  30,  1886,  three  eggs  (Eames).  Latest  record. 
June  24,  1911,  four  eggs  (C.  G.  H.). 

A  pair  of  hawks  will  breed  year  after  year  in  the  same  woods,, 
often  in  the  same  nest  (C.  L.  R.).s 

Frequently  several  days  elapse  between  the  laying  of  the  dif- 
ferent eggs  of  a  set,  oviposition  usually  occupying  ten  days. 


1 0.  and  O.t  xiii,  3,  pp.  34-7. 
aO.  and  O.,  vii,  15,  p.  117. 
SO.  and  O.,  ii,  4,  p.  25. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  77 

For  interesting  articles  on  the  nesting  and  breeding  habits 
of  Hawks  in  this  state,  consult  those  of  C.  L.  Rawson,  who  has 
made  a  special  study  of  Hawks  in  Norwich,  as  noted  in  the 
bibliography. 

One  instance  of  the  development  of  both  ovaries  has  been 
noticed  by  L.  B.  B. 

Astur  atricapillus  atricapillus  (Wilson).     Goshawk. 

A  rather  rare  and  irregular  winter  resident,  occasionally 
appearing  in  considerable  numbers. 

Earliest  record.     Oct.  5,  1886,  New  Haven  (L.  C.  S.). 

Latest  record.  April  12,  1907,  Guilford  (S.  E.  Watrous,  in 
coll.  of  L.  C.  S.). 

Large  flights  recorded  in  January,  1897,  especially  in  the 
northern  and  eastern  parts  of  the  state  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  in  early  No- 
vember, 1906,  and  on  through  to  March,  1907,  near  New  Haven 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  and  in  the  fall  of  1907,  in  different  parts  of  the  state 
(J.  H.  S.)- 

There  are  about  thirty-five  records  of  this  species  being  either 
seen  or  captured  in  this  state. 

Breeding  record.  H.  K.  J.1  records  that  "  Mr.  Williams 
found  a  nest  in  Winchester,  about  fifteen  years  ago  [about 
1893].  It  was  in  a  chestnut  tree,  sixty  feet  up,  and  contained 
two  eggs.  He  shot  the  female  for  identification,  and  has  the 
eggs  and  complete  data." 

Buteo  borealis  borealis  (Gmelin).     Red-tailed  Hawk. 

A  common  resident  of  the  wooded  hills  of  the  interior  of  the 
state ;  much  rarer  on  the  coast  except  in  the  fall  migrations. 

Most  abundant  (Portland)  from  April  15  to  May  25,  and 
from  Oct.  i  to  Nov.  25,  although  recorded  there  during  the  en- 
tire year.  The  majority  pass  through  the  state  as  migrants,  but 
this  species  winters  regularly  in  small  numbers  throughout  the 
state,  and  is  more  common  on  the  coast  at  that  season  than  in 
summer. 

Nest.  Very  large  nest  of  sticks  and  twigs,  usually  in  a 
deciduous  tree,  from  45  to  75  feet  from  the  ground.  It  favors 


ijob,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  297. 


78  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  dry  hillsides  where  the  woods  are  rather  open  and  a  wide  range 
of  view  can  be  had."  (C.  L.  R.)1 

Eggs.     I  to  3 ;  early  in  April. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  March  24,  1903,  two  eggs 
(Beers).  Latest  record.  April  30,  1888,  two  eggs  (Eames)  ; 
May  23,  1873  (W.  W.  C).2 

This  species  will  occupy  the  same  nest  year  after  year  unless 
disturbed,  when  it  will  build  another  nest  in  the  vicinity  (W.  W. 
C.2  and  C.  L.  R.).3 

Mr.  Rawson  also  notes  the  facility  with  which  they  are  mated 
when  one  of  the  pair  is  killed,  the  survivors  often  pairing  within 
a  week  or  two,  leading  to  the  supposition  that  the  old  ones  prob- 
ably pair  with  the  young  of  previous  years.3 

Buteo  lineatus  lineatus  (Gmelin).    Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

A  common  resident  of  the  lowlands  of  the  larger  river  valleys 
and  the  marshy  woodlands  of  the  coast;  the  majority  passing 
farther  south  in  October  and  returning  in  March,  but  many  win- 
tering regularly  throughout  the  state. 

In  breeding  these  hawks  return  regularly  to  the  same  woods, 
and  often  use  the  same  nest  as  the  previous  year,  unless  that  was 
robbed.  In  that  case  they  usually  take  the  one  in  which  they  had 
succeeded  in  raising  their  second  set,  or  the  nest  occupied  in  an 
earlier  year.  If  the  first  set  is  taken,  a  second  set  is  laid  in  from 
three  weeks  to  a  month. 

The  following  nesting  records  are  a  summary  of  112  occupied 
nests  of  this  species  examined  by  L.  B.  B.,  as  well  as  about  60 
examined  by  C.  L.  R.* 

Nest.  Location:  all  in  deciduous  trees;  chestnuts  (72,  L.  B. 
B.,  39,  C.  L.  R.),  oaks  (22,  L.  B.  B.,  10,  C.  L.  R.),  maples  (9, 
L.  B.  B.,  i,  C.  L.  R.),  beeches  (i  each),  yellow  birch,  ash,  and 
hickory.  Height:  average,  35-50  feet  from  the  ground,  with  the 
extremes  of  20  (C.  L.  R.)  and  75  (L.  B.  B.).  Situation  in  tree: 
usually  in  the  forking  of  the  trunk  at  the  top  of  the  tree,  fre- 
quently lower  down  against  the  trunk  at  a  point  where  two  or 


1O.  and  O.,  vi,  5,  p.  37. 
a  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.   85-6. 
*O.  and  O.,  ii,  4,  p.  25. 
O.  and  O.,  xvi,  i,  pp.   1-19. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  79 

more  branches  leave  it,  very  rarely  in  the  fork  of  a  limb  at  some 
distance  from  the  trunk  (L.  B.  B.).  Material:  sticks,  frequently 
lined  with  pieces  of  hemlock,  cedar,  pine,  or  ground  pine  (83, 
L.  B.  B.),  or  without  evergreen  (n,  L.  B.  B.),  or  lined  with 
leaves  (C.  L.  R.).  Oftentimes  feathered.  Old  nests  of  crows 
and  other  hawks  often  utilized. 

Eggs.  2-5,  usually  3  or  4;  about  the  middle  of  April.  Set 
of  5  (L.  B.  B.),  sets  of  4  (17,  L.  B.  B.,  14,  C.  L.  R.),  sets  of  3 
(57,  L.  B.  B.,  27,  C.  L.  R.),  sets  of  2  (25,  L.  B.  B.,  13,  C.  L. 
R.),  sets  of  i  (3,  L.  B.  B.).  Eggs  from  the  same  wood  and 
probably  from  the  same  birds  have  usually  a  certain  resemblance 
in  size,  color,  or  markings.  The  number  of  eggs  in  the  first  set 
seems  to  depend  largely  on  the  weather  in  March,  a  warm  open 
March  with  little  snow  being  followed  by  large  sets,  a  cold  and 
stormy  March  by  small  sets.  The  most  heavily  marked  egg  is 
usually  laid  first. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  March  30,  1894,  two  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  May  6,  1901,  two  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 
Late  sets.  May  28,  1899,  four  eggs  (Hill,  New  London)  ;  June  I, 
1884,  two  eggs  (C.  L.  R.,  Norwich). 

In  actions  at  the  nest  these  hawks  vary  greatly  individually; 
some  leaving  silently  almost  as  soon  as  one  enters  the  woods  and 
not  returning,  others  waiting  until  the  tree  is  struck  before  leav- 
ing the  nest,  when  they  perch  near  by,  crying  frequently,  and 
swooping  to  within  ten  feet  of  the  climber.  As  a  rule,  however, 
the  degree  of  solicitude  shown  depends  on  the  length  of  incuba- 
tion of  the  eggs;  the  nearer  the  eggs  are  to  hatching,  the  more 
anxiously  the  hawks  protect  them.  , 

The  egg  of  a  Barred  Owl  in  the  nest  of  a  Red-shouldered 
Hawk  has  twice  been  found  by  L.  B.  B. ;  both  times  in  the  same 
piece  of  woodland,  which  had  been  reduced  from  an  extensive 
.tract  by  wood-choppers,  thus  leaving  few  suitable  nesting-places 
for  large  birds.  One  (April  13,  1901)  contained  three  eggs  of 
the  Hawk  and  one  of  the  Barred  Owl,  with  the  Owl  on  the  nest; 
the  other  (April  i,  1902)  contained  two  eggs  of  the  Hawk  and 
one  of  the  Barred  Owl,  with  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk  on  the 
nest.  As  the  hawks'  eggs  were  in  both  instances  further  ad- 
vanced in  incubation,  this  species  was  probably  the  original 
owner  of  both  nests. 


8O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

During  the  winter  these  hawks  seldom  circle  high  in  the  air, 
as  is  so  common  at  other  seasons  of  the  year,  although  they  have 
been  noticed  doing  this  (Feb.  14,  19x53,  L.  B.  B.). 

Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson  of  Norwich,  who  has  made  an  extensive 
study  of  the  hawks  in  that  vicinity,  has  recorded  in  his  numerous 
articles  in  O.  and  O.  a  considerable  mass  of  interesting  data  on 
eggs  of  this  species,  peculiar  markings,  and  the  recurrence  of 
these  markings  in  one  individual.  Other  data  as  to  the  number 
and  description  of  eggs  taken  from  the  same  bird  in  successive 
years  are  numerous,  as  well  as  descriptions  of  nests  and  their 
location.  We  refer  those  interested  in  the  subject  to  his  articles 
as  recorded  in  the  bibliography. 

Buteo  platypterus  (Vieillot).     Broad-winged  Hawk. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  May  to  Septem- 
ber, and  common  fall  migrant  in  September;  breeds  most  abun- 
dantly in  Litchfield  county. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  21,  1888;  Portland, 
April  19,  1893. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  16,  1901,  Nov.  13,  1906 
(E.  S.  W.)  [?];  Portland,  Oct.  22,  1892. 

Nest.  Situated  in  the  center  of  the  deepest  woodland  acces- 
sible. They  vary  in  material  from  nests  like  those  of  the  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk,  well-lined  with  various  soft  materials,  to 
others  resembling  those  of  Cooper's  Hawk,  a  loose  platform  of 
sticks  lined  with  a  few  square  pieces  of  bark. 

Eggs.    2  or  3 ;  about  the  middle  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  19,  1884,  one  egg, 
later  three  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  6,  1900,  two  eggs  (Blackwood)  ; 
May  14,  1894,  three  young,  ten  days  old  (G.  L.  H.).  Latest 
record.  June  16,  1898,  two  eggs  (H.  W.  F.). 

The  bird  is  very  shy  and  is  seldom  seen  on  the  nest. 

One  bird  of  this  species  with  both  ovaries  developed  has  been 
found  by  L.  B.  B. 

This  species  frequently  predominates  in  the  hawk  flights  de- 
scribed by  C.  C.  T.1 


Trowbridge,  Hawk  Flights  in"  Connecticut,  Auk,  xii,  3,  pp.  259-270. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  8l 

Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johannis  (Gmelin).  Rough- 
legged  Hawk. 

A  rather  uncommon  winter  resident,  living  about  the  larger 
marshes  from  November  to  March. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  4,  1897.  Latest  record. 
New  Haven,  March  8,  1901,  April  20,  1889  (L.  C.  S.). 

Connecticut  records:  Dr.  Wood  of  East  Windsor  Hill  occa- 
sionally found  it  abundant  in  that  locality,1  and  took  about  forty 
specimens  ;z  Merriam1  saw  it  near  New  Haven,  Nov.  20,  1875 ; 
Dec.  25,  1875,  Feb.  16,  1880,  specimens  killed  near  East 
Windsor  Hill  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.,  1879,  Stamford,  one 
taken  (recorded  by  Hoyt)  ;  Sept.  (?),  1883,  Saybrook  (in  coll. 
of  J.  N.  C.)  ;3  Oct.,  1884,  near  Stamford  (Hoyt,  in  coll.  of  L. 
B.  B.)  ;  March  30,  1887,  Glastonbury  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Feb.  17,  1888,  New  Haven  (in  Flint  coll.  of  Brewster)  ;  April  20, 
1889,  New  Haven  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Nov.  16,  1892,  Stam- 
ford (Schaler,  in  coll.  of  Porter)  ;  Dec.  8,  1894,  New  Haven 
(A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  31,  1895,  Nov.  4,  1897, 
Jan.  16,  1899,  Jan.  24,  1900,  March  8,  1901,  Feb.  7,  Dec.  I,  Dec. 
18,  1903,  between  New  Haven  and  Guilford  (seen  by  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Dec.  24,  1896,  Fair  Haven,  seen  in  taxidermist's  shop  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Nov.  20,  1901,  Cromwell,  two  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  24, 
March  6,  1906,  New  Haven  (E.  S.  W.). 

Aquila  chrysaetos  (Linnaeus).    Golden  Eagle. 

A  rare  winter  visitant. 

Connecticut  records.  Winter,  1856-7,  Hartford,  adult  taken, 
seen  in  the  flesh  by  J.  C.  Comstock  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dr.  Wood  occa- 
sionally saw  it  about  Hartford  (prior  to  1877)  ;4  Nov.  13,  1875, 
Deep  River,  one  shot  (in  coll.  of  H.  W.  F.)  ;  May,  1877,  Say- 
brook,  one  seen  (J.  N.  C.)  ;4  1879,  Southbury,  female  shot 
(Wood  coll.)  ;  Oct.  29,  1881,  Ragged  Mountain,  Barkhamsted, 
one  young  shot  by  H.  Wedge  of  Riverton;5  Nov.,  1884,  and 
Nov.  5,  1896,  Stamford,  two  taken  (recorded  by  Hoyt)  ;  Oct., 
1887,  Preston,  one  shot  (in  coll.  of  G.  H.  Martin)  *  Nov.  i,  1892, 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.   87-8. 
'Samuels,  Birds  of  New  England,  p.  576. 
3O.  and  O.,  viii,  10,  p.  80. 
4  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  89. 

5O.   and  O.,   vi,  10,  p.  76;  12,  p.  94  (more  fully  described). 
6  O.  and  O.t  xii,  12,  p.  206. 
6 


82  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Essex,  adult  female  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  I,  1896,  Wood- 
bridge,  one  female  shot  (in  coll.  of  A.  E.  V.)  j1  Nov.  20,  1896, 
East  Haven,  young  male  trapped  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Jan.  19, 
1897,  Salem,  adult  male  trapped  (in  coll.  of  C.  L.  R.)  f  Oct.  9, 
1909,  East  Haven  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.). 

Haliasetus  leucocephalus  leucocephalus  (Linnaeus).  Bald 
Eagle. 

A  rather  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant  and  occasional  summer 
resident;  formerly  bred  in  more  unsettled  parts  of  the  state, 
possibly  a  few  still  breeding. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  17,  1885;  Portland,  April 
25,  1889;  South  Glastonbury,  March  16,  1899  (seen  by  J.  H.  S.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  10,  1883,  Nov.  20,  1875 
(Merriam).3 

Winter  'records.  Jan.  26,  Feb.  25,  1891,  Stamford  (Hoyt)  ; 
Dec.  25,  1893,  Middletown  (J.  H.  S.). 

Summer  records.  Numbers  of  this  species  have  been  seen 
during  May,  June,  July,  and  August,  at  various  places  in  the  state 
(Deep  River,  Haddam  Neck,  Litchfield,  Middle  Haddam,  Middle- 
town,  New  Haven,  North  Haven,  Portland,  Saybrook,  Stratford, 
Stevenson)  in  1880,  1882,  1883,  1886,  1888,  1890,  1891,  1905. 

Breeding  record.  Job  records*  that  "  Late  in  April,  about  a 
dozen  years  ago  (1896),  Mr.  Williams  found  in  Winsted  a  nest 
on  a  rocky  ledge  which  contained  two  good-sized  young. 
Several  years  previously  he  had  found  another  nest  in  an  un- 
climbable  tree,  and  also  has  seen  young  which  could  not  have 
been  raised  far  off." 

Haliaeetus  leucocephalus  alascanus  C.  H.  Townsend. 
Northern  Bald  Eagle. 

A  young  female  was  shot  near  Willimantic,  Oct.  27,  1909, 
by  G.  H.  Champlin,  and  sent  to  L.  B.  B.  in  the  flesh  by  C.  R.  H. 
That  the  majority  of  Connecticut  Bald  Eagles  belong  to  this 
subspecies,  is  the  belief  of  L.  B.  B. 

*Auk,  xiv,   i,  p.  89. 

*Auk,  xiv,  2,  p.  215. 

'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  90. 

4  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  297 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  83 

Family  FALCONID^.     Falcons,  Caracaras,  etc. 
Subfamily  FALCONIN^E.     Falcons. 

Falco  rusticolus  obsoletus  Gmelin.     Black  Gyrfalcon. 

There  are  only  two  records  for  this  state:  Winter,  1879, 
west  of  Stamford  ( J4  m^e  over  the  boundary  in  New  York  State, 
but  probably  driven  there  from  Connecticut  by  the  northeast  gale 
then  raging),  killed  by  Dr.  Chas.  Rowell  (seen  by  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Jan.  27,  1907,  Durham,  female  shot  by  A.  Banks  (in  coll.  of 
J.  H.  S.)-1 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum  Bonaparte.    Duck  Hawk. 

A  rare  but  probably  regular  fall  migrant;  a  very  rare  sum- 
mer resident. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1903 ; 
Lyme,  Sept.  14,  1895  (W.  E.  T.).  Latest  record.  Guilford, 
Oct.  30,  1907  (L.  C.  S.). 

Winter  records.  Feb.  23,  1876,  Milford  (Grinnell)  f  Jan. 
19,  1894,  Stamford  (in  coll.  of  Porter). 

Spring  records.  April  30,  1886,  Portland,  male  shot  (in  coll. 
of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  9,  1888,  Mt.  Carmel  (Webb  and  Searles)  ; 
May  9,  1899,  Mt.  Carmel  (Bernard)  ;  May,  1900,  Hamden 
(Osborne)  ;  spring,  1910,  Mt.  Carmel  (H.  K.  J.  and  Buttrick). 

Nest.    Eggs  laid  on  a  shelf  of  some  precipitous  cliff. 

Eggs.     2-4;  early  in  May. 

Breeding  records.  May  25,  1861,  Talcott  Mt.,  near  Hart- 
ford, four  young  (Moses,  recorded  in  Hartford  Times,  June  29, 
1861,  and  by  Merriam)  ;2  summer,  1863,  same  locality,  two  pairs 
breeding  (Dr.  Wood)  ;3  May  I,  1872,  Talcott  Mt.,  three  eggs 
taken  by  P.  H.  Woodford  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  9,  1888,  Mt  Carmel, 
three  eggs  (Webb  and  Searles,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  9,  1899, 
Mt.  Carmel,  two  eggs  (Bernard,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  spring, 
1910,  Mt.  Carmel,  one  pair  and  empty  nest  (H.  K.  J.  and  But- 
trick)  . 

Falco  columbarius  columbarius  Linnaeus.     Pigeon  Hawk. 
A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant,  most  abundant 
in  October.     Occasional  in  winter/ 


lAtik,  xxvi,  4,  pp.  429-430. 

2  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.  81-2. 

8  Samuels,  Birds  of  New  England,  p.  n. 


84  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  30, 
1904;  Portland,  April  24,  1873.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
April  25,  1885 ;  Portland,  May  25,  1882. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  10,  1902 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  9,  1899.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  6, 
1901 ;  Portland,  Nov.  6,  1876. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  24,  1875,  Portland;  March  4,  1885, 
New  Haven;  Jan.  5,  1897,  Portland;  Dec.  6,  1900,  and  Jan.  17, 
1905,  New  Haven;  Dec.  25,  1903,  Bristol  (E.  A.  Smith). 

Falco  sparverius  sparverius  Linnaeus.    Sparrow  Hawk. 

A  tolerably  common  resident,  most  frequently  seen  in  the 
early  spring  and  the  late  fall.  More  common  in  the  northern 
half  of  the  state. 

J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.  record  this  species  during  the  entire 
year. 

Nest.  Hole  in  tree,  oftentimes  the  deserted  nest  of  a  Flicker 
or  other  bird. 

Eggs.     3  to  5 ;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  29,  1890,  five  eggs 
(Trowbridge).  Latest  record.  May  20,  1882,  five  eggs  (J.  H. 
S.)  ;  July  4,  1900,  four  young  (Hill). 

This  species  was  formerly  rare,  Merriam1  thus  characterizing 
it,  adding  that  it  breeds  near  Portland  (W.  W.  C.)  and  some- 
times near  East  Windsor  Hill  (Wood).  Between  1890  and  1900, 
however,  it  became  somewhat  if  not  very  common  during  migra- 
tions, and  since  then  has  been  frequently  noted.  It  is  still  com- 
paratively rare  as  a  breeder  in  this  state. 

Family  PANDIONID^.     Ospreys. 

Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis  (Gmelin).     Osprey. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant;  a  rare  summer 
resident  near  the  coast  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  state. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  24, 
1904;  Portland,  March  25,  1903.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  30,  1901;  Portland,  May  20,  1882. 

Fall  migration.    Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  Aug.  27,  1895 ; 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  84. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  85 

Portland,  Aug.  n,  1897.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  18, 
1888;  Portland,  Oct.  18,  1893;  Danbury,  Nov.  13,  I892.1 

Eggs.     2  to  4;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  22,  1897,  three  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  July  4,  1870  (F.  S.  Smith).2 

They  do  not  breed  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland  (W.  W.  C. 
and  J.  H.  S.),  nor  along  the  Connecticut  River,  except  near  its 
mouth,  where  J.  H.  H.  reports  a  colony  of  twenty-two  pairs  at 
Niantic.  C.  L.  R.  reports  them  breeding  commonly  along  the 
shores  of  the  Sound  in  New  London  County,  and  in  several 
swamps  a  dozen  miles  in  the  interior  up  the  Thames  River  valley.3 
Mr.  Williams  has  known  a  pair  to  nest  in  Litchfield  County.4 
L.  B.  B.  saw  a  specimen  in  Warren,  Litchfield  County,  June  7, 
1900,  and  E.  S.  W.  saw  one  in  Litchfield,  July  I,  1893,  and  July 
4,  1905.  These  last  are  our  only  inland  records  during  breed- 
ing season. 

Suborder  STRIDES.      Owls. 
Family  ALUCONID^.     Barn  Owls. 

Aluco  pratincola  (Bonaparte).     Barn  Owl. 

A  very  rare  accidental  visitor  from  the  south. 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam5  notes  the  following:  Linsley 
took  it  at  Stratford ;  about  1841,  Hartford  (Ayres)  ;  Oct.  28,  1868, 
Sachem's  Head  (in  coll.  of  Wood)  ;  "  some  years  ago  "  (before 
1877),  Madison  (in  coll.  of  Capt.  Brooks). 

Later  records.  About  1875,  Stamford,  one  taken  (Schaler)  ; 
June  15,  1891,  Leesville,  one  shot  by  W.  Chase  (in  coll.  of  J. 
H.  S.)  ;  Aug.  28,  1891,  Litchfield,  one  shot  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  W.)  ;6 
1892,  Winsted,  nest  with  six  young  in  an  old  factory  found  by 
H.  Kinney  (H.  K.  J.)  ;7  1893,  same  locality,  same  nest,  set  of 
seven  eggs  taken  by  Williams  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  June  25,  1896,  Port- 
land, a  young  male  taken  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  n,  1903, 
Stratford,  male  (in  coll.  of  L.  C.  S.)  ;  Sept.  14,  1906,  Portland, 


1 0.  and  O.,  xvii,   n,  p.   172. 

2  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  88. 

»O.  and  O.,  x,  6,  p.  89. 

*Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  297. 

'Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.   66-7. 

•  Auk,  ix,  2,  p.  202. 

7  Job,  The   Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.   298. 


86  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

one  shot  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Jan.  15,  1911,  East  Hartford, 
one  taken  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)«  C.  L.  R.  has  recorded  several 
specimens  from  New  London  County. 

Family  STRIGIM).     Horned  Owls,  etc. 

Asio  wilsonianus  (Lesson).    Long-eared  Owl. 

A  common  winter  and  rare  summer  resident. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  25,  1904;  Portland,  Oct. 
8,  1892. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  March  21,  1904;  Portland, 
March  25,  1875. 

Nesting  records.  April  (prior  to  1877),  Berlin,  nest  with  four 
eggs  (Brandegee)  j1  April  25,  1880,  Ellington,  five  eggs  taken 
(J.  M.  Wade)  f  spring,  1881,  Bristol,  a  set  of  eggs  taken  (E. 
N.  Brandegee)  ;  May  9,  1886,  Woodbridge,  nest  with  four  young 
(Augur)  ;  May,  1890,  Northford,  set  of  four  eggs  (Trowbridge, 
in  Trinity  College  Museum). 

Other  summer  records.  July  i,  1885,  Litchfield  (L.  B.  W.)  ; 
April  24,  1906,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  May  i,  1906,  North 
Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Asio  flammeus  (Pontoppidan).     Short-eared  Owl. 

A  common  fall  and  tolerably  common  spring  migrant;  most 
frequently  noted  in  October  and  March;  winters  rarely. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  2, 
1894,  Feb.  17,  1905  (Sherman)  ;  Portland,  Feb.  9,  1911.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  March  31,  1896;  Portland,  April  29,  1883. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  7,  1906; 
Portland,  Oct.  8,  1890.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  29, 
1884;  Portland,  Dec.  12,  1903. 

A  favorite  haunt  of  these  birds  is  the  salt-water  marshes, 
where  they  sometimes  congregate  in  flocks.  Between  sixteen  and 
twenty  of  these  Owls  were  found  by  L.  B.  B.  in  the  marshes  at 
Guilford,  Oct.  17,  1890,  more  than  half  of  them  being  within  a 
space  twenty  yards  square. 

Breeding  records.  "  Nests  on  the  ground.  Not  uncommon  " 
(Merriam).3  Dr.  William  Wood  of  East  Windsor  Hill  recorded4 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.  69,  70. 
*  O.  and  O.,  vii,  pp.  161-2. 
8  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  70. 
4  O.  and  O.,  ix,  i,  pp.  xo-xi. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  87 

that  a  nest  was  found  "  some  thirty  years  ago  "  half  a  mile  from 
his  office,  the  nest  being  on  elevated  ground,  in  a  meadow,  and 
composed  of  fine  grass,  and  containing  four  eggs;  1876,  an  egg 
presumably  of  this  species  found  in  the  grass  at  Groton  Long 
Point,  and  brought  to  C.  L.  R.1 

Strix  varia  varia  Barton.     Barred  Owl. 

A  common  resident  along  the  coast;  rarer  in  the  interior, 
where  it  is  most  common  during  October  and  November. 

Nest.  Usually  in  a  hollow  tree  or  in  the  deep  crotch  of  a 
tree;  frequently  in  old  hawks'  nests;  most  common  location  a 
chestnut  tree;  height  from  the  ground,  6  to  45  feet;  nest  often 
heavily  feathered,  and  so  deep  as  to  hide  bird  from  observation. 

Eggs.  2-4  (of  22  nests  recorded  by  C.  L.  R.,2  7  contained 
3  eggs  and  15  contained  2  eggs  each)  ;  March  25  —  April  15. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  March  17,  1886,  one  egg 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  May  10,  1879,  two  eggs  (C.  L.  R.). 

J.  N.  C.  wrote  L.  B.  B.  that  he  considered  this  species  "  the 
most  destructive  enemy  of  birds,  game,  and  domestic  fowls 
among  all  the  Hawks  and  Owls." 

In  the  winter  the  numbers  of  the  resident  birds  are  often 
augmented  by  a  flight  from  the  north.  This  was  the  case  in  the 
winter  of  1882-3,  when  twenty-six  were  brought  to  Mr.  Herr- 
man,  then  taxidermist  of  the  Peabody  Museum;  and  again  in 
the  fall  of  1894,  when  twenty-five  were  brought  to  A.  H.  V.  to 
be  mounted. 

Scotiaptex  nebulosa  nebulosa  (J.  R.  Forster).  Great  Gray 
Owl. 

A  very  rare  straggler  from  the  north. 

Connecticut  records.  Jan.  6,  1843,  Stratford,  one  taken 
(Linsley)  ;3  Jan.  22,  1893,  North  Haven,  a  male  secured  by  a 
farmer  (A.  H.  V.,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  March,  1907,  East 
Haven,  one  secured  by  an  Italian  and  sold  to  a  restaurant  in 
New  Haven,  where  it  was  purchased,  a  then  freshly  mounted 
specimen,  by  L.  C.  S. 


1  O.  and  O.,  xvi,  4,  p.   59. 
*  O.  and  O.,  x,  2,  p.  25;  xiii,  3,  pp.  37-40. 

3  Am.  Jour.  Set.   and"  Arts,  [i]   xliv,   2,  p.   253;   recorded  by  Merriam,   Birds  of 
Conn.,  p.  70. 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Cryptoglaux  funerea  richardsoni  (Bonaparte).  Richard- 
son's Owl. 

An  extremely  rare  accidental  visitor. 

The  only  records  for  this  state  are:  mid- winter,  about  1860, 
near  East  Windsor,  one  captured  and  presented  to  Dr.  Wood:1 
Nov.  12,  1906,  Kent,  a  male  found  dead  by  an  Indian  woman 
(obtained  by  H.  K.  J.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.).2 

Cryptoglaux  acadica  acadica    (Gmelin).      Saw-whet   Owl. 

A  rather  rare  resident,  most  frequently  observed  in  the  win- 
ter, but  breeding  rarely. 

Of  the  42  records  which  we  have  for  this  species,  39  were 
between  October  12  and  March  28,  the  other  3  being  summer 
records.  This  Owl  has  been  recorded  from  the  vicinity  of  Port- 
land (19  times,  J.  H.  S.),  New  Haven  (9),  Stamford  (3), 
Bridgeport  (2),  Milford  (2),  Chester,  Stony  Creek,  Fairfield, 
Winsted  (i  each),  Litchfield  (4),  thus  showing  a  pretty  general 
distribution.  Merriam3  is  of  the  opinon  that  the  apparent  scarce- 
ness of  the  bird  may  rather  be  due  to  its  "  diminutive  size  and 
nocturnal  habits." 

Summer  records.  April  i,  1894,  Chester,  a  set  of  five  eggs 
taken  by  H.  Bennett  (in  coll.  of  H.  W.  F.)  ;  June  8,  1896,  Bridge- 
port, one  seen,  and  later  its  nest  probably  identified  (Beers)  ; 
May,  1895  (?),  Winsted,  a  pair  with  three  young  seen  in  an  old 
Crow's  nest  (Williams).4 

These  little  owls  seem  to  suffer  both  from  the  weather  and 
from  the  persecution  of  larger  owls.  One  in  the  coll.  of  Porter 
was  found  dead  in  very  cold  weather,  and  their  remains  have  been 
found  in  the  woods  several  times  by  L.  B.  B.  One  found  April 
10,  1893,  had  been  apparently  killed  by  an  owl ;  and  another 
was  found  in  the  stomach  of  a  Barred  Owl,  which  had  been  shot 
at  Lake  Saltonstall,  March  3,  1883. 

Development  of  both  ovaries  has  been  seen  once  by  L.  B.  B. 

Otus  asio  asio  (Linnaeus).    Screech  Owl. 
A  tolerably  common  resident. 

Nest.  In  a  hollow  tree,  most  frequently  an  apple  tree  in  an 
orchard. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  73. 
» Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  298. 
8  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  74. 
<Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  299. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  89 

Eggs.    4  or  5 ;  the  last  of  April. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  9,  1910,  three  eggs 
(C.  G.  H.).  Latest  record.  May  9,  1892,  two  eggs  (Beers). 

This  species  frequents  even  our  largest  cities,  as  one  was  seen 
by  L.  B.  B.  on  New  Haven  Green  on  the  evening  of  Feb.  22, 
1885,  and  another  on  April  3,  1893. 

Bubo  virginianus  virginianus  (Gmelin) .    Great  Horned  Owl. 

A  tolerably  common  resident,  especially  of  the  wilder  por- 
tions of  the  state. 

Nest.  This  owl  usually  occupies  the  old  nest  of  a  hawk, 
crow,  or  squirrel,  though  occasionally  building  for  itself.  Height : 
45-75  feet  from  the  ground.  Location:  most  frequently  in  a 
hemlock  or  pine,  or  perhaps  a  chestnut  or  cedar. 

Eggs.    2-3 ;  last  of  February  or  early  in  March. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  Feb.  19,  1877,  two  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.)  ;  March  9,  1904,  three  young  (L.  B.  B.).  Latest 
record.  April  25,  1902,  two  eggs  (Hill). 

L.  B.  B.  and  H.  K.  J.  have  both  noted  an  unusual  habit  of 
the  parent  birds  in  apparently  destroying  the  nest  when  the 
young  become  old  enough  to  balance  themselves  in  the  fork  of 
the  tree,  thus  removing  the  conspicuous  nest  and  leaving  the 
bird  well  protected  by  the  harmony  of  its  colors  with  the  bark 
of  the  tree. 

Nyctea  nyctea  (Linnaeus).     Snowy  Owl. 

At  present  a  rather  rare  and  irregular  winter  resident,  prob- 
ably absent  most  winters,  but  occasionally  occurring  in  consider- 
able numbers,  especially  along  the  coast.  Most  frequently  re- 
corded in  November  and  December. 

Earliest  record.  Stamford,  Sept.  18  (Schaler),  Oct.,  1874 
(Hoyt).  Latest  record.  Branford,  April  15,  1902  (G.  V.  Smith). 

Recent  records.  Although  this  species  was  noted  pretty  regu- 
larly up  to  1890  or  thereabout,  records  in  later  years  have  been 
growing  increasingly  scarce.  During  the  winter  of  1901-2  large 
numbers  of  Snowy  Owls  appeared  on  the  New  England  coast 
and  not  a  few  of  them  reached  Connecticut";  captures  were  re- 
ported during  this  period  from  Stonington,  Mystic,  Noank,  New 
London,  and  Niantic  by  Hill,  from  Saybrook  by  J.  N.  C.,  from 
Clinton  by  J.  Peck,  from  Milford  by  L.  C.  S.,  and  from  Branford 


90  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

by  L.  B.  B.  About  April  15,  1902,  Branford  (G.  V.  Smith)  ; 
Nov.  18,  1905,  Nov.  20,  1906,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Nov.  19, 
1905,  Stamford  (Porter)  ;  Nov.,  1905,  New  Haven  (L.  C.  S. 
and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  23,  1905,  Danbury  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  Nov.  22, 
1910,  New  Haven  (Minor). 

Surnia  ulula  caparoch  (Miiller).    Hawk  Owl. 

The  following  are  the  only  records  for  this  state:  Nov.,  1869, 
New  Haven,  bird  secured  by  Dr.  F.  W.  Hall  (recorded  by  Mer- 
riam1  as  the  first  Connecticut  specimen)  ;  winter,  1879,  near 
Stamford,  one  seen  at  a  distance  of  twenty  feet  in  flight  and 
plainly  identified  (Hoyt). 

Order  COCCYGES.     Cuckoos,  etc. 

Suborder  CUCULI.     Cuckoos,  etc. 

Family  CUCULID^E.     Cuckoos,  Anis,  etc. 

Subfamily  COCCYZIN;E.     American  Cuckoos. 

Coccyzus  americanus  americanus  (Linnaeus).  Yellow- 
billed  Cuckoo. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  the  middle  of 
May  to  the  middle  of  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  10,  1894,  May  8,  1894 
(A.  H.  V.)  ;  Portland,  May  7,  1895. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  16,  1900;  Portland,  Oct. 
17,  1894. 

Nest.  Usually  in  a  bush  or  slender  tree  in  a  thicket;  height 
from  ground,  5  to  10  feet  (one  40  feet)  ;  composed  of  sticks  and 
twigs,  and  just  large  enough  to  hold  the  eggs. 

Eggs.     3-5;  usually  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  24,  1898,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  H.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  26,  1889,  two  eggs  (W.  L  C)2 

Unusual  records.  June  7,  1894,  a  nest  containing  two  eggs 
of  this  species  and  two  of  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo,  with  the 
female  Yellow-billed  sitting,  was  found  by  L.  B.  B. ;  about  1877, 
a  single  egg  found  in  a  Robin's  nest  along  with  eggs  of  the  latter 


1Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  73. 
*Oologist,  vi,  12,  p.  231. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  QI 

species  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  two  nests  with  five  eggs  each,  found  in  sum- 
mer of  1884  (C.  E.  L.),1 

In  a  single  apple  tree,  J.  C.  A.  M.  found,  June  15,  1902,  nests 
containing  either  eggs  or  young  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  the 
Scarlet  Tanager,  Robin,  Baltimore  Oriole,  Wood  Thrush,  and 
Least  Flycatcher. 

Coccyzus  erythrophthalmus  (Wilson).  Black-billed  Cuckoo. 

A  common  but  irregular  summer  resident  from  the  middle 
of  May  to  August ;  not  nearly  as  plentiful  now  as  in  the  nineties. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  10,  1904,  May  7,  1905 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  23,  1886;  Litchfield,  May  9,  1905 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  14,  1903,  Sept.  21,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Sept.  28,  1875  (Merriam);2  Portland,  Sept.  19, 
1899;  Litchfield,  Sept.  21,  1891  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  East  Hartford,  Oct. 
3,  1887  (W.  E.  T.). 

Nest.  In  a  small  bush  or  young  tree  in  a  thicket  or  occa- 
sionally in  an  orchard;  2  to  12  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     2-4,  usually  3 ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  18,  1891,  one  egg  (J. 
C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  2,  1881,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  records.  May  29,  1896,  nest  containing  three  eggs 
of  C.  erythrophthalmus  and  one  of  C.  OP.  americanus,  and  June  6, 
1897,  two  eggs  of  the  former  with  one  of  the  latter  (L.  B.  B.), 
in  both  instances  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo  being  on  the  nest ;  June 
7,  1893,  nest  containing  seven  eggs  of  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  10,  1894,  three  eggs,  of  which  one  measured 
only  .75  by  .61  inch  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Suborder  ALCYONES.      Kingfishers. 
Family  ALCEDINIDJE,     Kingfishers. 
Ceryle  alcyon  (Linnaeus).     Belted  Kingfisher. 
A  common  summer  resident  from  April  to  October;  rarely 
wintering. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  3,  1902,  March  27,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  5,  1893. 


1  O.  and  O.,  ix,   10,  p.   128. 

3  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  63. 


92  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  4,  1901,  Nov.  13,  1875 
(Merriam)  j1  Portland,  Nov.  22,  1895. 

Winter  records.  Feb.  13,  1874,  Hartford  (Humphrey)  ;J  Jan. 
14,  1883,  Portland  (W.  W.  C.)  f  Jan.  15,  1883,  Middletown  (C. 
H.  N.)  ;3  Feb.  14,  1888,  Seymour  (Eames)  ;  Feb.  17,  1902,  Say- 
brook  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  Jan.  17,  1905,  Stamford  (Vanhavenberg,  re- 
corded by  Hoyt)  ;  winter,  1905-6,  a  number  wintering  in  Stam- 
ford (Porter)  ;  Jan.  20,  1906,  North  Haven  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  New 
Haven,  one  seen,  Dec.  25,  1905  — •  March  7,  1906,  and  Dec.  5, 
1906  —  March  17,  1907  (A.  A.  S.). 

Nest.  A  burrow  excavated  in  a  sand-bank  to  the  depth  of 
4^  to  7  feet ;  no  nesting  material  as  a  rule  for  fresh  eggs,  while 
those  incubated  repose  on  a  mass  of  small  fish  bones  and  scales. 

Eggs.    4-10,  usually  7;  latter  part  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  9,  1881,  six  eggs 
(Beers).  Latest  record.  July  2,  1881,  seven  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  records.  June,  1881,  Litchfield,  nest  with  ten  young 
(L.  B.  W.). 

May  10,  1904,  a  hole  was  found  in  a  sand-bank  near  New 
Haven  by  L.  B.  B.  about  which  a  pair  of  Rough- winged  Swallows 
were  flying.  Early  in  the  morning  of  Monday,  May  23,  neither 
hole  nor  swallows  were  to  be  seen,  all  evidence  of  the  former 
having  disappeared  by  the  caving  of  the  bank,  caused  by  the  re- 
moval of  sand.  After  some  effort  the  entrance  was  found,  a 
stick  passing  easily  through  the  loose  sand  that  concealed  it.  At 
a  depth  of  about  five  feet  a  male  Kingfisher  was  found  sitting 
on  seven  eggs  and  a  round  pebble  about  the  size  of  an  egg.  This 
bird  must  have  remained  there  imprisoned  since  the  carting  of 
sand  ceased  on  Saturday,  although  with  one  stroke  of  its  power- 
ful bill  it  could  have  regained  its  freedom,  to  burrow  out  being, 
apparently,  beyond  its  mental  power. 

Order  PICI.     Woodpeckers,  Wrynecks,   etc. 
Family  PICIDyE.     Woodpeckers. 

Dryobates  villosus  villosus  (Linnaeus).  Hairy  Wood- 
pecker. 

i  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  63. 
*O.  and  O.,  viii,  3,  p.  24. 
»O.  and  O.,  viii,  4,  p.  32. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  93 

A  tolerably  common  resident;  apparently  more  numerous  in 
the  winter. 

Nest.  In  a  cavity  in  a  living  limb,  but  usually  a  short  distance 
below  a  dead  limb  of  sufficient  size  to  affect  the  density  of  the 
wood  below.  Location,  an  apple  tree  in  an  orchard  or  a  deciduous 
tree  in  the  woods.  Height  from  ground,  usually  between  15  and 
30  feet. 

Eggs.    2-4;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  30,  1904,  two  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  May  30,  1901,  four  eggs  (Hill). 

Dryobates  pubescens  medianus  (Swainson).  Downy 
Woodpecker. 

A  common  resident. 

Nest.  Usually  in  the  dead  limb  of  a  tree  in  the  orchard, 
woods,  or  along  the  roadside.  (Of  13  nests  recorded  by  J.  H. 
S.  six  were  located  in  willow  trees  or  stumps,  the  remainder  in 
poplars,  maples,  and  black  birch  trees.)  Height  from  ground, 
10-40  feet  Building,  April  30  —  June  3. 

Eggs.    4-5;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  16,  1896,  five  eggs 
(H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  16,  1899,  five  eggs  (Hill).  Latest  record, 
June  12,  1882,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.). 

Both  the  Downy  and  the  Hairy  Woodpecker  excavate  holes 
during  the  fall  in  which  they  pass  the  winter  nights. 

Picoides  arcticus  (Swainson).  Arctic  Three-toed  Wood- 
pecker. 

Merriam1  records  that  a  specimen  was  taken  at  Simsbury  in 
1860  (in  Shurtleff  coll.,  Wesleyan  University  Museum),  and  that 
Dr.  Wood  had  taken  it  at  East  Windsor  Hill.  These  are  the  only 
Connecticut  records. 

Sphyrapicus  varius  varius  (Linnaeus).  Yellow-bellied 
Sapsucker. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  April,  Octo- 
ber, and  November;  rarely  wintering. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  64. 


94  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  2, 
1888;  Portland,  April  9,  1875.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April 
27,  1900;  Portland,  April  23,  1902. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  28,  1898, 
Sept.  16,  1887  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  17,  1894.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  2,  1882;  Portland,  Oct.  25,  1896. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  17,  1881,  New  Haven,  young  female 
taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.  10,  1899,  New  Haven,  one  taken  (Osborne 
and  Austin). 

Summer  records.  May  10,  1887,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May 
6,  1893,  Fairfield  (Eames,  in  coll.  of  Beers). 

Breeding  record.  H.  K.  J.  reports1  that  Mr.  Williams  has 
in  his  possession  two  sets  of  eggs  found  in  two  nests  in  Winsted 
about  1893. 

Phloeotomus  pileatus  abieticola  (Bangs).  Northern  Pileated 
Woodpecker. 

A  rare  winter  and  spring  visitant;  very  rarely  breeding. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  reported  it  from  Stratford  and 
New  Haven  -?,  W.  W.  C.  noted  one  killed  in  Portland  in  Novem- 
ber, 1876  ;2  King  took  one  at  Suffield  "  several  years  ago  "  (prior 
to  1877)  f  spring,  1879,  Stamford,  two  seen  and  plainly  identified 
(Hoyt)  ;  Nov.  I,  1890,  Granby,  one  taken  by  Welch  (J.  H.  S.)  ;3 
May  10,  1894,  Neversink  Swamp,  Danbury,  one  seen  (Hamlin)  ; 
winter,  1894-5,  Granby,  one  seen  (Welch)  ;  Dec.,  1900,  Cornwall, 
one  seen;4  June  13,  1903,  New  Hartford,  one  shot  by  Sweetland 
(in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Breeding  records.  May  30,  1901,  Torrington,  nest  with  one 
young  found  20  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  pine  tree  in  a  very 
large  cavity  (Hanson)  ;5  Mr.  Williams  found  nests  of  this  species 
a  dozen  years  ago  (1896)  in  the  vicinity  of  Litchfield.5 

Melanerpes  erythrocephalus  (Linnaeus).  Red-headed 
Woodpecker. 

A  rare  fall  migrant;  a  very  rare  spring  migrant  and  summer 
resident;  an  irregular  winter  resident;  formerly  an  abundant 
resident. 


»H.  K.  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  299. 

aMerriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  64. 

*Auk,  x,  4,  p.  371. 

*Auk,   xviii,   2,  p.    193. 

•H.   K.  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  300. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  95 

Old  records.  Dr.  Wood  of  East  Windsor  Hill  recorded1  in 
1 88 1  that  "  forty  years  ago  they  were  about  as  common  as  the 
Yellow-hammer  [Flicker]  in  this  part  of  the  state.  They  en- 
tirely disappeared  in  1847,  an<^  I  did  not  see  another  specimen 
until  1860."  Prof.  Silliman  informed  Prof.  A.  E.  Verrill  in  1864 
that  these  birds  were  abundant  residents  near  New  Haven  as 
late  as  1840.  Linsley  gave  it  from  Stratford,  and  Merriam2 
recorded  it  as  rare  in  1877,  noting  also  that  it  was  rare  in  the 
vicinity  of  Portland  (W.  W.  C.  and  J.  H.  S.).  Hence  this  bird 
may  be  considered  abundant  until  the  forties,  since  which  time 
it  has  become  increasingly  rare. 

Fall  records.  Most  of  the  recent  records  of  this  species  in 
Connecticut  are  for  the  fall  (late  September  and  early  October), 
when  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker  is  occasionally  noted  accom- 
panying the  Flickers  in  their  fall  migration.  New  Haven,  abun- 
dant between  Oct.,  1881,  and  March,  1882  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  also,  12 
records  by  L.  B.  B.,  3  by  L.  B.  W.,  2  by  Webb,  I  by  A.  H.  V. 
Portland,  9  fall  records  by  J.  H.  S.  Litchfield,  3  records  by  E. 
S.  W.,  i  by  L.  B.  WT.  Stamford,  3  records  by  Hoyt.  Bridge- 
port, 2  records  by  Beers  and  Eames. 

Breeding  records.  Prior  to  1863,  East  Windsor  Hill,  two 
eggs  collected  by  Dr.  Wood  (in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  prior  to 
1880,  Guilford,  one  egg  taken  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  20, 
1882,  Portland,  five  eggs  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  1893,  New  Haven,  nest 
with  young  (Hedges)  ;  May  10,  1898,  New  Haven,  pair  seen 
by  A.  H.  V.  and  L.  B.  B. ;  June  23,  1906,  Litchfield,  set  of  four 
eggs  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  brood  of  young  seen  about  July,  1909,  New 
Haven  (A.  A.  S.). 

Other  spring  records.  Portland,  May  15,  1883  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
New  Haven,  May  19,  24,  25,  1883  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  22,  1886, 
March  7,  1887,  May  10,  1888  (Webb)  ;  May  20,  1902,  May  19, 
1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  spring  of  1908,  birds  seen  and  nest  found  (N. 
H.  Bird  Club). 

Summer  records.  July  3,  1876,  June  3,  1898,  Portland  (J. 
H.  S.)  ;  summer  of  1882  rather  common,  June  29,  1884,  New 
Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 


1 0.  and  O.,  vi,  10,  pp.  78-9. 

*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  65. 


g6  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  31,  1872,  Dec.  3,  1881,  Dec.  30,  1895, 
Dec.  21,  1910,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dec.  13,  1883,  New  Haven 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Centurus  carolinus   (Linnaeus).     Red-bellied  Woodpecker. 

The  following  are  the  only  Connecticut  records :  Linsley  saw 
one  "  ascending  an  apple  tree  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1842  ;"  *  Dr. 
Crary  informed  Merriam2  that  he  had  killed  it  near  Hartford, 
and  E.  I.  Shores  that  he  had  taken  a  female,  July  30,  1874,  at 
Suffield.  In  the  Linsley  collection  of  the  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.  is  a 
mounted  bird  of  this  species  collected  by  Sidney  Mather,  but  it 
may  not  have  been  taken  in  Connecticut. 

Colaptes  auratus  luteus  Bangs.  Northern  Flicker.3 

A  common  summer  resident  from  April  to  October,  the  ma- 
jority passing  through  the  state  as  migrants;  a  few  winter 
regularly. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  1 8, -1882;*  Portland, 
March  10,  1898. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  10,  1903  ;*  Portland,  Nov. 
3,  1908. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven,  Dec.,  1882,  83,  96;  Jan.,  1882, 
83,  86,  94,  95,  98,  1901,  02,  03,  Feb.,  1883,  1904,  1912  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Jan.,  1884  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Dec.,  1885,  1908,  Jan.,  1898, 
1909,  n,  12,  Feb.,  1910  (J.  H.  S.). 

Fall  flight.  Large  numbers  of  these  birds  fly  westward  along 
the  coast  late  in  September  in  the  fall  migration,  flying  early  in 
the  morning  and  alighting  on  the  dead  tops  of  trees.  The  morn- 
ings on  which  these  birds  are  most  abundant  are  similar  in  tem- 
perature conditions  to  those  formerly  known  as  "  pigeon  morn- 
ings " —  clear,  cool  mornings  following  a  sudden  drop  in  tem- 
perature; and,  until  the  law  protecting  these  birds  put  a  stop  to 
the  practice,  "  Yellow-hammer  shooting "  filled  the  gap  left  by 
the  extermination  of  the  Passenger  Pigeon.  Poles  were  fastened 
on  the  tops  of  tall  and  isolated  trees,  and  the  hunter  waited  below, 
hidden  under  a  screen  of  boughs,  and  shot  the  Flickers  as  they 

1Am.  Jour.  Sci.  and  Arts,  [i]  xliv,  p.  263;  recorded  also  by  Merriam. 
'Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  65. 

•Known  also  as  the  Yellow-hammer,   Golden-winged  Woodpecker,   Highhole,   and 
Pigeon   Woodpecker.     Called   "  Woodquoi  "   in   Portland. 
4Migrants. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  97 

alighted  on  this  pole.  Recently  large  numbers  of  these  birds, 
sometimes  as  many  as  several  hundred  in  the  course  of  an  hour 
in  the  early  morning,  flying  rapidly  westward,  have  been  seen 
by  L.  B.  B.  near  New  Haven,  Sept.  28,  1898,  Sept.  25,  1900, 
Sept.  29,  30,  1903,  Sept.  22,  1904. 

Nest.  A  hollow  excavated  by  the  bird,  or  a  natural  cavity 
in  a  tree,  at  from  5  to  30  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     5-10,  commonly  7  or  8;  latter  part  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  9,  1896,  five  eggs  (J. 
H.  S.).  Latest  record.  June  19,  1872,  seven  eggs  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
July  12,  1881,  six  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

L.  B.  B.  found  a  nest,  June  6,  1882,  containing  n  eggs  and 
2  young;  but,  as  one-half  the  eggs  were  perfectly  fresh,  the 
cavity  was  doubtless  occupied  by  two  females;  one  taken  by  C. 
W.  W.,  May  21,  1888,  contained  10  eggs. 

Forty-eight  holes  made  by  woodpeckers  were  counted  on  one 
side  of  a  large  dead  stump  in  the  woods  at  Guilford  by  L.  B.  B., 
March  14,  1885,  about  twenty  of  them  having  been  made  by  this 
species. 

A.  H.  V.  shot  a  Flicker  with  the  upper  mandible  so  deformed 
as  to  be  useless  for  working  on  wood,  Sept.  28,  1897;  and  L. 
B.  B.,  one  with  the  feet  and  head  so  badly  infected  with  some 
kind  of  fungous  disease  that  one  eye  was  entirely  closed,  Oct.  16, 
1906;  both  are  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B. 

Order  MACROCHIRES.    Goatsuckers,  Swifts,  etc. 

Suborder  CAPRIMULGI.     Goatsuckers,  etc. 

Family  CAPRIMULGID^E.     Goatsuckers,  etc. 

Antrostomus  carolinensis  (Gmelin).     Chuck-will's-widow. 
A  mounted  specimen  in  the  Peabody  Museum  was   caught 
alive  by  Mr.  Decatur  Morgan  in  New  Haven,  May  17,  1889. 
This  bird  has  been  recorded  also  by  Mr.  A.  H.  Verrill.1 

Antrostomus  vociferus  vociferus  (Wilson).  Whip-poor- 
will. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  woodland  from  May  to 
August. 


1  O.  and  O.t  xiv,  6,  p.  96. 

7 


98  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  22,  1893 ;  Portland,  April 
23,  1886. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  17,  1900;  Portland,  Sept. 
21,  1893. 

Nest.  Eggs  deposited  on  a  few  dead  leaves  on  the  ground, 
usually  not  far  from  the  border  of  the  woods. 

Eggs.    2 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  18,  1893,  two  eggs  ( J. 
H.  S.).  Latest  record.  July  4,  1884,  two  eggs  (H.  W.  F.). 

Late  fall  records.  Nov.  i,  1880,  Noank  (C.  L.  R.)  j1  Oct.  5, 
1901,  Westville  (G.  V.  Smith,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Chordeiles  virginianus  virginianus  (Gmelin).     Nighthawk. 

Formerly  an  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  open  pastures 
from  the  middle  of  May  to  September;  now  rare  through  most 
of  the  state  in  the  breeding  season,  and  occurring  commonly  only 
in  the  fall  migration. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  7,  1888;  Portland,  April 
28,  1888. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  17,  1890;  Portland,  Oct.  10, 
1902. 

Nest.  Eggs  laid  on  a  rock,  or  on  a  bare  place  on  the  ground 
in  a  pasture ;  rarely  on  the  flat  roofs  of  houses  in  the  cities. 

Eggs.     2,  rarely  I ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  26,  1896,  two  eggs  (H. 
W.  B.)  ;  May  26,  1900,  two  eggs  (H.  W.  F.).  Latest  record. 
July  i,  1898,  two  eggs  (J.  H.  H.). 

Recent  breeding  records.  Although  this  bird  is  reported  as 
still  tolerably  common  in  the  vicinity  of  Stamford  both  by  Hoyt 
and  Porter,  throughout  most  of  the  state  it  is  only  a  rare  sum- 
mer resident.  The  last  pair  seen  near  New  Haven  by  L.  B.  B. 
was  on  May  15,  1900,  this  pair  having  left  the  open  fields  where 
they  have  been  so  persecuted,  and  taken  refuge  in  a  small  open- 
ing in  the  woodland.  The  last  nest  recorded  by  J.  H.  S.  from 
the  vicinity  of  Portland  is  one  found  June  6,  1894. 

A  remarkable  migration  of  these  birds  was  witnessed  by  L.  B. 
B.  near  Sachem's  Head,  Guilford,  early  in  September,  1880  (?), 
late  in  the  afternoon.  Large  numbers  of  these  birds,  collected 

1  O.  and  O.,  v,  10,  p.  78. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  99 

in  a  broad  band  that  extended  from  horizon  to  horizon,  were 
watched  flying  westerly  not  far  from  the  coast  for  about  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour;  the  number  of  birds  still  passing  showing  little 
diminution  when  he  was  obliged  to  leave. 

Suborder  CYPSELI.    Swifts. 

Family  MICROPODID^E,     Swifts. 

Subfamily  CH^TURIN^E.     Spine-tailed  Swifts. 

Chaetura  pelagica   (Linnaeus).     Chimney  Swift. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  from  May  until  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  19,  1884,  April  14,  1876 
(Osborne)  ;x  Portland,  April  18,  1896. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  29,  1888;  Portland,  Oct.  n, 
1877. 

Unusual  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  7,  1907,  one  found  dead 
after  a  heavy  storm  (L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.     In  a  chimney. 

Eggs-     3  to  5  J  latter  part  of  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  4,  1897,  five  eggs  (J. 
H.  H.).  Latest  record.  July  4,  1890,  three  eggs  (H.  W.  B.). 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  these  birds  often  collect  in 
large  flocks,  sometimes  three  or  four  hundred  strong,  and  spend 
the  night  together  in  some  commodious  chimney.  Flying  over 
this  chimney  in  a  broad  circle  toward  dark,  some  of  them  are 
constantly  dropping  into  it  until  all  have  disappeared  for  the 
night.  One  such  roosting  chimney  was  found  in  Portland  by 
J.  H.  S.  in  1877,  an<3  another  in  Guilford  by  L.  B.  B.  in  1884. 

Suborder  TROCHILI.    Hummingbirds. 
Family  TROCHILIDyE.     Hummingbirds. 

Archilochus  colubris  (Linnaeus).  Ruby-throated  Humming- 
bird. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  the  middle  of 
May  until  August,  but  apparently  not  as  common  as  formerly. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4,  1882;  Portland,  May 
5,  1905- 


Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   59. 


IOO  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1882,  Oct.  16,  1874 
(Merriam)  j1  Portland,  Oct.  2,  1905. 

Unusual  record.  March  i,  1902,  Saybrook,  a  female  beat 
itself  against  the  panes  in  a  window  in  the  house  of  J.  N.  C, 
trying  to  reach  some  flowers  inside. 

Nest.  Usually  made  of  lichens  or  material  closely  resembling 
the  bark  of  the  tree  on  which  it  is  located;  as  a  rule  from  9  to 
12  feet  from  the  ground,  in  orchard  or  garden,  in  the  woods  or 
in  the  shade  trees  of  the  city  streets. 

Eggs.    2  (invariably)  ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  13,  1891,  two  eggs 
(H.  W.  B.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  4,  1881,  two  eggs  (Smith)  ;2 
Aug.  14,  1910,  two  eggs  (C.  G.  H.). 

Order  PASSERES.     Perching  Birds. 
Suborder  CLAMATORES.     Songless  Perching  Birds. 

Family  TYRANNID^E.     Tyrant  Flycatchers. 
Muscivora  forficata  (Gmelin).    Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher. 
The  only  record  of  this  species  is  a  specimen  shot,  April  27, 
1876,  at  Wauregan,  by  Mr.  Carpenter.    "  The  bird  first  attracted 
Mr.   Carpenter's  attention  by  its  opening  and   closing  the  tail 
while  flying  about  a  small  sheet  of  water  in  quest  of  insects."3 

Tyrannus  tyrannus  (Linnaeus).     Kingbird. 

A  common  summer  resident,  arriving  during  the  first  two 
weeks  in  May,  and  going  south  in  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  i,  1896,  April  13,  1877 
(Dayan)  ;4  Portland,  April  28,  1881.  Thirty-five  out  of  thirty- 
nine  years'  records  for  Portland  were  between  May  i  and  May 
I4(J.H.S.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  15,  1902;  Portland,  Sept. 
10,  1887. 

Nest.  Usually  on  the  topmost  branch  of  an  apple  tree  at 
from  12  to  25  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.    2-6,  usually  2  or  3 ;  early  in  June. 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  62. 
*O.  and  O.,  vi,  7,  p.  53. 

*Bull.  Nuttall  Ornith.  Club,  ii,  i,  p.  21;  recorded  also  by  Merriam,  Birds  of 
Conn.,  p.  50. 

4  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  49.  .      '    i 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  IOI 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  29,  1898,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  H.).  Latest  record.  July  4,  1882,  four  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  sets.  June  3,  1894,  Branford,  nest  with  six  eggs 
found  (Nichols)  ;  July  6,  1882,  New  Haven,  nest  with  six  young 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Albinos.  Aug.,  1880,  Laurel  Hill,  near  Norwich,  an  albino 
Kingbird  found ;  the  body  pure  white,  wings  and  tail  a  light  cream 
color  (no  date  given).1  Aug.,  1890  (?),  Woodbridge,  a  remark- 
able albino  taken;  its  bill,  tarsi,  toes,  nails,  and  the  entire 
plumage  being  pure  white,  except  that  the  wings  and  tail  were 
tinged  with  sulphur  yellow.  The  eyes  were  deep  pink.  (In  pos- 
session of  J.  M.  Blake,  New  Haven.) 

Myiarchus  crinitus  (Linnseus).     Crested  Flycatcher. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  of  orchards  and  wood- 
land from  the  middle  of  May  until  August.  In  Litchfield  it  is 
rare  (E.  S.  W.). 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  i,  1906;  Portland,  May 
4,  1896. 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  Sept.  18,  1903. 

Nest.  An  old  woodpecker's  hole  or  other  cavity,  usually 
from  7  to  15  feet  from  the  ground;  in  an  apple  tree. 

Eggs.    3-6;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  27,  1896,  six  eggs  (L. 
B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  18,  1892,  five  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Unusual  record.  May  27,  1889,  Northford,  set  of  seven  eggs 
(A.  M.  Linsley).2 

A  nest  of  this  species  was  once  found  by  Mr.  W.  R.  Nichols 
built  somewhat  like  that  of  a  Kingbird  on  the  branch  of  a  tree. 
This  is  very  unusual,  as  this  species  practically  always  occupies 
a  cavity  in  a  tree. 

Sayornis  phoebe  (Latham).     Phoebe. 

A  common  summer  resident,  arriving  the  last  of  March  and 
remaining  until  October. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  20,  1894,  March  14, 
1902  (A.  A.  S.),  Feb.  25,  1876  (Hall);3  Portland,  March  18, 

1O.  and  O.,  v,  6,  p.  47. 
9Oologist,  vi,  12,  p.  233. 
3Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  52. 


IO2  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1898,  1907;  Hartford,  March  13,  1898^  Jewett  City,  March  15, 

I902.1 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  18,  1904,  Oct.  26,  1906 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  14,  1891,  1893. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven,  Dec.  25,  1909  (D.  B.  P.,  C.  H. 
P.,  and  A.  W.  H.)  ;  one  seen,  Dec.  21,  1905  —  March  10,  1906, 
and  Nov.  25,  1906  —  Jan.  22,  1907  (A.  A.  S.). 

Nest.  On  the  pillar  of  a  porch,  the  rafter  of  a  shed,  inside 
an  abandoned  house,  in  the  cellar  of  a  barn,  under  a  bridge,  on 
a  ledge  of  rocks,  under  the  overhanging  edge  of  a  bank,  or  in 
the  upturned  roots  of  a  tree;  nest  of  mud  and  moss,  lined  with 
horse-hair. 

Eggs. '  3-6 ;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  27,  1898,  five  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  10,  1882,  six  eggs  (C.  L.  R.).2 

Nests  are  occasionally  placed  in  abandoned  nests  of  the  Barn 
Swallow,  while  one  containing  five  eggs  was  found  placed  in  an 
old  Robin's  nest  on  a  girder  in  a  barn,  May  15,  1893,  in  Trumbull 
(Beers). 

An  unusual  nesting  site  was  noted  by  W.  W.  C.,  Portland, 
on  "  a  brace  under  the  guards  of  the  steam  ferry-boat  running 
[at  that  time]  between  Middletown  and  Portland."3  This  nest 
was  seen  by  J.  H.  S. 

Nuttallornis  borealis  (Swainson).     Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 

A  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  late  May  and  September. 

Spring  records.  May  24,  1892,  New  Haven,  male  taken 
(Hedges,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  24,  1893,  New  Haven,  female 
taken  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  May  23,  1900,  May  23,  1902,  and  May  19, 
1909,  New  Haven,  two  taken,  another  seen  (L.  B.  B.). 

Fall  records.  Aug.  5,  1874,  Suffield,  male  taken  (Shores)  ;4 
Oct.  18,  1875,  New  Haven,  one  seen  (Merriam)  ;4  Aug.  27,  1903, 
Danbury,  young  female  taken,  and  pair  with  three  young  seen 
several  times  during  summer  of  1903  (Hamlin)  ;  Sept.  13,  1904, 
New  Haven,  young  female  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Aug.  31,  1904, 


1  Bird-Lore,  x,  5,  p.  210. 

*  O.  and  O.,  xvii,  5,  pp.  77-8. 

8  O.  and  O.,  vii,  23,  p.   183. 

4  Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  p.    53. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  103 

Sept.  8,   1906,  New  Haven,  seen   (L.  B.  B.)  ;   Sept.   15,   1905, 
Litchfield,  one  taken  (E.  S.  W.). 

Myiochanes  virens  (Linnaeus).     Wood  Pewee. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  woodlands  and  shade  trees 
from  the  latter  part  of  May  until  late  in  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  10,  1899;  Portland,  May 
6,  1879,  1905. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  30,  1903;  Portland,  Oct. 
3,  1890. 

Nest.  In  an  orchard,  a  shade  tree  (frequently  an  elm),  or  in 
the  woods,  about  10  to  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     2-4;  the  latter  .part  of  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  8,  1884,  one  egg  (E. 
H.  E.).  Latest  record.  July  12,  1903,  three  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Flying  young  were  seen  by  J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.  in  Salisbury 
on  the  unusually  early  date  of  June  1 6,  1904. 

Sets  of  three  eggs  each  on  the  same  fork  of  the  same  limb  of 
a  certain  tree  were  found  by  J.  C.  A.  M.,  June  16,  1895,  June  13, 
1897,  and  June  19,  1898,  with  no  nest  there  in  1896,  and  all  three 
sets  very  different  in  their  markings. 

Empidonax  flaviventris  (W.  M.  and  S.  F.  Baird).  Yellow- 
bellied  Flycatcher. 

A  rather  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May,  August  and 
September,  keeping  in  secluded  nooks  in  young  woodland  as  it 
passes  through  the  state. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  16, 
1888,  1900.  Latest  record,  May  28,  1909. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  15,  1907. 
Latest  record,  New  Haven,  Sept.  i,  1896,  1906;  Sept.  17,  1875 
(Merriam).1 

At  Stamford  in  late  summer  this  bird  is  occasionally  common, 
as  Mr.  Porter  secured  ten  males  between  Aug.  17  and  Sept  26, 
i893.2  Hoyt  took  one  at  Stamford,  May  17,  1890,  and  L.  B.  B., 
one,  May  25,  1905;  Eames,  at  Stratford,  May  7,  1892,  and  at 
Bridgeport,  May  27,  1892;  W.  E.  T.,  one  at  East  Hartford, 
Sept.  20,  1887,  and  three,  May  23,  1892  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   59. 
*Auk,  xii,  i,  p.  86. 


IO4  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Empidonax  virescens  (Vieillot).     Acadian  Flycatcher. 

A  rare  summer  resident  of  the  southern  border  of  the  state; 
most  common  west  of  Stamford. 

Earliest  record.    Stamford,  May  17,  1890  (Hoyt). 

Latest  record.     Stamford,  Sept.  19,  1893   (Porter). 

Spring  records.  June  24,  1874,  Suffield,  one  taken  (Shores)  j1 
May  17,  1890,  Stamford,  male  taken  (Hoyt,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
June  13,  1891,  New  Haven,  male  taken  (Hedges,  in  coll.  of  L. 
B.  B.)  ;  June  3,  1896,  Guilford,  male  taken  (L.  B.  B.). 

Breeding  records.  Spring,  1875,  Stamford,  nest  with  five 
eggs  (Hoyt)  ;  June  25,  1893,  Greenwich,  nest  with  three  young 
(Voorhees)  f  June  2,  1894,  Stamford,  nest  with  three  eggs 
(Rowell)  ;  May  20,  1903,  Danbury,  one  pair,  believed  to  be  breed- 
ing, collected  (Hamlin)  ;  June  2,  1906,  Stamford,  two  nests  with 
three  eggs  each,  two  other  pairs  of  breeding  birds,  six  old  nests, 
found  (Porter).3  Mr.  Porter  describes  the  nests  as  always 
loosely  thrown  together  with  shreds  hanging  down  from  the 
sides ;  made  of  hemlock  bark  or  grass. 

Empidonax  trailli  alnorum  Brewster.    Alder  Flycatcher. 

A  rare  late  spring  and  late  summer  migrant;  regular  summer 
resident  in  northwestern  part  of  the  state. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  26, 
1909;  Litchfield,  May  27,  1905  (E.  S.  W.).  Latest  record.  New 
Haven,  May  31,  1904. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  9,  1904. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  7,  1905;  Litchfield,  Sept.  28, 
1900  (E.  S.  W.). 

Breeding  records.  June  22,  1886,  Litchfield,  nest  with  three 
well  incubated  eggs  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  June  12,  1900,  Warren,  un- 
finished nest  found,  and  a  female,  which  would  have  laid  in  a 
few  days,  taken  (A.  H.  V.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  13,  1905,  Litch- 
field, three  nests  found,  containing  two  sets  of  four  eggs  each 
and  one  of  three  eggs,  nests  in  alders  and  a  spruce,  between  I  and 
2  feet  from  the  ground  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  June  18,  1906,  Litchfield, 
nest  with  four  eggs  (E.  S.  W.). 

iMerriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  58. 
1Aukt  xi,  3,  p.  259. 
3 Auk,  xxiv,  i,  p.  99. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  1 05 

Empidonax  minimus  (W.  M.  and  S.  F.  Baird).  Least  Fly- 
catcher. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  the  orchards  and  shade  trees 
of  the  state  from  early  May  to  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  27,  1885 ;  Portland,  April 
21,  1880;  Hadlyme,  April  26,  1899  j1  Hartford,  April  27,  I9O2.1 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  Sept.  10,  1883,  Oct.  i,  1907  (A. 

A.  S.)  ;  Portland,   Sept.  4,   1893;  Litchfield,  Oct.   I,   1890   (L. 

B.  W.). 

Nest.  Of  the  25  nests  recorded  in  the  last  5  years  by  J.  H.  S., 
7  were  in  elms,  6  in  willows,  6  in  ash  trees,  3  in  wild  cherries,  and 
3  in  poplars;  height  from  ground,  15-30  feet,  except  one  at  5 
feet  and  another  at  40  feet ;  location,  commonly  an  open  swampy 
place,  occasionally  in  thick  growth.  Building,  May  15  — June  8. 

Eggs.     3-5 ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  23,  1906,  two  eggs 
(same  nest,  four  eggs,  May  26)  (J.  H.  S.).  Latest  record. 
June  27,  1888,  five  eggs  (E.  H.  E.). 

Suborder  OSCINES.    Song  Birds. 
Family  ALAUDIM:.     Larks. 

Otocoris  alpestris  alpestris  (Linnaeus).    Horned  Lark. 

An  irregular  winter  visitor  from  November  to  March;  most 
common  in  small  flocks  along  the  coast. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  2,  1906,  Oct.  29,  1888 
(L.  B.  W.). 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  April  15,  1882. 

Inland  records.  March  22,  1875,  Portland,  two  killed  (one 
in  coll.  of  C.  H.  N.)  ;  Dec.  3,  1889,  East  Hartford,  two  seen 
(W.  E.  T.)  ;  March  25,  1890,  Portland,  flock  of  thirteen  seen 
(C.  H.  N.)  ;  March  27,  1899,  about  thirty  seen,  March  30,  1899, 
about  twelve  seen,  Portland  (S.  R.,  one  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Oct.  27,  1903,  Nov.  14,  1904,  Litchfield,  small  flocks  seen 
(E.  S.  W.). 

A  bird  in  which  one  tarsus  had  been  broken  and  the  foot  had 
become  fastened  in  the  feathers  of  the  abdomen  was  taken  by 
L.  B.  B.  in  Guilford,  Feb.  II,  1898. 


J  Bird-Lore,  x,  3,  p.   117. 


106  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Otocqris  alpestris  praticola  Henshaw.  Prairie  Horned 
Lark. 

A  rare  winter  resident  in  the  state;  breeding  in  Litchfield 
County. 

Winter  records.  Feb.  i,  1889,  Guilford,  one  female  taken 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  middle  of  Sept.  to  Oct.  10,  1900,  Litchfield,  a  small 
flock  seen,  and  specimens  collected  Oct.  7,  8  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Feb. 
6,  1904,  Westville,  small  flock,  one  shot  (Smith,  in  coll.  of  L. 
B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  n,  1905,  West  Haven,  flock  of  three  taken  (E. 
S.  W.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  3,  1910,  West  Haven,  female  taken 
(D.  B.  Pangburn,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Summer  records.  June  20,  1904,  Salisbury,  seen  flying  (J. 
H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  July  31 — Aug.  4,  1905,  Goshen; 
April  22,  June  2,  July  8,  1906,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.  and  H. 
Sanford). 

Breeding  records.  May  24,  1891,  Torrington,  set  of  four 
eggs  with  the  female  taken  (Gath)  j1  1904,  Watertown,  pair 
breeding  (Butcher)  j1  May  25,  1905,  Litchfield,  pair  breeding 
(E.  S.  W.)  f  March  26,  1908,  Danbury,  nest  with  four  eggs, 
hatched  March  27  (Judd).3 

Nest  of  this  species  thus  described  by  Judd  :3  "A  neat,  well- 
made  structure  of  fine,  soft  dead  grass  was  placed  in  a  hollow 
caused  by  the  removal  of  a  small  stone  on  the  gravelly  western 
slope  of  a  large  round-topped  sand  hill." 

Otocoris  alpestris  hoyti  Bishop.     Hoyt's  Horned  Lark. 

A  very  rare  accidental  visitor. 

Connecticut  records.  March  4,  1893,  Bridgeport,  one  male 
and  one  female  taken,  somewhat  nearer  this  form  than  a  true 
alpestris  (Eames,  in  coll.  of  Beers)  ;  Feb.  17,  1894,  Stamford, 
male  (Porter)  ;  March  7,  1903,  Guilford,  a  male  taken  along 
with  two  typical  alpestris  males  from  a  flock  of  Horned  Larks 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  24,  1905,  West  Haven,  male  taken  (A.  Ganung, 
in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  3,  10,  1906,  Guilford,  two  taken 
(E.  S.  W.). 


»H.  K.  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  301. 

a  Auk,  xxiii,   4,  p.  461. 

3  Bird-Lore,  x,   3,   pp.    129,    130. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  IC>7 

Family  CORVID^.     Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 
Subfamily  GARRULIN^:.     Magpies  and  Jays. 

Cyanocitta  cristata  cristata  (Linnaeus).     Blue  Jay. 

A  common  summer  resident,  a  few  wintering  regularly;  the 
majority  going  south  early  in  October  when  there  is  a  regular 
western  flight,  and  returning  in  April. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  25,  1893;*  Portland, 
Feb.  8,  1896,  Feb.  12,  1900,  06,  07,  08. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  30,  1901  j1  Portland,  Nov. 
27,  1889. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven,  Jan.,  1882,  83,  84,  85,  1894, 
95.  96,  98,  1900.  01,  02,  05;  Dec.,  1882,  83,  84,  1893,  95,  96,  1900, 
03,  04,  05;  Portland,  Jan.,  1881,  Dec.,  1881,  85,  87. 

Nest.  In  a  conifer  or  deciduous  tree,  usually  near  the  border 
of  dense  brush  or  woodland;  height  from  ground,  5-15  feet. 

Eggs.     3-6;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  25,  1900,  three  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  I,  1882,  six  eggs  (L.  B.  W.). 

Migrating  flocks  observed  near  New  Haven,  April  I,  1896, 
Oct.  3,  1882,  Sept.  30,  1890,  Sept.  29,  1897,  Sept.  29,  30,  1903 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Subfamily  CORVINE.     Crows. 

Corvus  corax  principalis  Ridgway.    Northern  Raven. 

Very  rare. 

Connecticut  records.  Dec.  28,  1889,  West  Haven,  a  bird, 
from  its  size,  flight,  and  the  marked  emarginatibn  of  its  primaries, 
believed  by  L.  B.  B.  to  be  a  Raven,  flew  by  him,  about  125  yards 
away  and  100  feet  from  the  ground.  As  it  uttered  no  sound,  its 
identity  is  doubtful.  Sept.  18,  1890,  South  Manchester,  "  a  speci- 
men of  the  American  Raven  was  taken  at  this  place"  (O.  J. 
Hagenaw).2 

Corvus    brachyrhynchos   brachyrhynchos    Brehm.      Crow. 
An  abundant  resident,  gathering  in  flocks  along  the  seashore 
in  winter,  but  many  going  farther  south  in  October. 


1  Migrants. 

a  O.  and  O.,  xv,    10,  p.   156. 


IO8  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

A  regular  migration  westward  occurs  near  the  coast  late  in 
October,  as  has  often  been  witnessed  by  L.  B.  B.  and  many  others. 

Roost.  In  the  early  eighties  there  was  a  larger  winter  roost 
in  a  pine  grove  in  Hamden,  containing  probably  10,000  birds  on 
the  night  of  Feb.  22,  1882  (L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.  Large  nest  of  sticks,  dry  weeds,  etc.,  often  lined  with 
grapevine  bark,  usually  close  to  the  trunk  of  a  chestnut  or  conifer, 
or  in  the  top  of  a  poplar,  birch,  or  other  tree ;  12  to  80  feet  from 
the  ground. 

Eggs.     4-7,  commonly  4  or  5 ;  middle  of  April. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  10,  1882,  three  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  12,  1892,  four  eggs  (J.  C. 

A.  M.). 

Unusual  eggs.  Six  pinkish  eggs  were  found  in  a  nest  near 
New  Haven,  May  8,  1884  (two  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  light  blue, 
almost  unspotted  eggs  also  occur  in  nests  in  which  the  other  eggs 
are  normal;  a  single  egg  in  a  set  of  six  found  measuring  only 
1.20  by  .87  inch,  May  18,  1893,  Stratford  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  a  set 
of  four  pinkish  eggs  is  in  the  Wood  collection  at  the  Morgan 
Memorial,  Hartford,  taken  at  South  Windsor  (J.  H.  S.). 

A  set  of  seven  eggs  was  collected  in  the  spring  of  1893  near 
New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.). 

L.  B.  B.  records  a  Crow  found  in  New  Haven,  Sept.  i,  1906, 
with  a  peculiar  hoarse  voice,  which  upon  examination  was  learned 
to  be  due  to  a  profuse  purulent  rhinitis. 

A  cinnamon  colored  Crow  is  recorded  from  Groton,  Aug.  20,. 
iS/9.1 

Corvus  ossifragus  Wilson.     Fish  Crow. 

A  rather  rare  resident  near  the  coast,  and  extending  some 
distance  up  the  larger  rivers. 

Distribution.  Small  colonies  and  isolated  nests  have  been 
found,  near  the  shore  of  the  Sound  at  Woodmont,  Milford,  and 
Stratford  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  at  Niantic  (Hill)  ;  New  Haven  (L.  B. 

B.  and  C.  C.  T.)  ;  Fairfield  and  vicinity  (Eames)  ;2  various  points 
in  Fairfield  County   (Beers)  ;  along  the  Housatonic  Valley,  as 
far  north  as  Gaylordsville  (Eames)  ;  along  the  Connecticut  River 

1 O.  and  O.,  vi,  7,  p.  55. 
"*Auk,  x,  r,  p.  89. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 

(Canfield  and  Watrous).  One  was  taken  in  North  Haven,  Feb. 
20,  1902,  by  Mr.  Harry  Ludington  (in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.  Usually  located  in  the  small  branches  at  the  top  of  the 
tallest  tree  in  the  vicinity,  at  a  height  of  35-60  feet  from  the 
ground;  the  birds  breed  in  single  pairs  or  in  small  colonies,  near 
the  coast. 

Eggs-    3-5  J  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  5,  1895,  five  eggs  (J. 
C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  June  3,  1894,  two  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Breeding  records.  May,  1888,  New  Haven,  three  eggs  (C. 
C.  T.)  ;  May  12,  16,  1891,  Fairfield,  four  and  five  eggs  respectively 
(Eames)  ;x  June  3,  1894,  two  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  May  5,  1895, 
five  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  May  4,  1900,  four  eggs,  and  May  19, 
1906,  five  eggs  (Beers)  ;  May  12,  1901,  Niantic,  colony  with  five, 
five,  four,  and  three  eggs,  and  four  young  (Hill)  ;  May  14,  1904, 
four  eggs,  May  21,  1904,  four  young,  and  May  10,  1905,  two  sets 
of  five  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Family  ICTERIDyE.     Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Dolichonyx  oryzivorus  (Linnaeus).     Bobolink. 

A  common  but  decreasing  summer  resident  from  the  last  of 
May  until  August,  most  abundant  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
state. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  5,  1898;  Portland,  April 
27,  1891.  The  usual  arrival  is  between  May  5  and  15  (average 
of  44  years'  records,  J.  H.  S.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  25,  1895;  Portland,  Oct. 
15,  1890. 

Nest.    Eggs  deposited  on  the  ground  in  a  meadow. 

Eggs.    4-6 ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  25,  1897,  six  eggs  (H. 
R.  Buck).  Latest  record.  June  20,  1887,  four  eggs  (H.  W.  F.). 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  state  the  Bobolink  now  breeds  com- 
monly only  in  the  meadows  bordering  the  larger  salt  marshes,  as 
at  Stratford  and  Hammonasset  Point. 

Mr.  Buttrick  notes1  that,  from  observations  of  this  species 
made  at  Woodmont,  he  believes  the  Bobolink  is  at  times  polyg- 
amous; also  that  the  young  leave  the  nest  before  they  are  able 
to  fly,  when  they  are  cared  for  by  the  females. 


1  Bird-Lore,  xi,  3,  pp.   125-6. 


IIO  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Molothrus  ater  ater  (Boddaert).    Cowbird. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  April  to  November;  occa- 
sionally lingers  to  January  and  probably  winters. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  19,  1901 ;  Feb.  20,  1887 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  March  21,  1910. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  i,  1903;  Portland,  Oct.  22, 
1877. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  15,  1874,  Jan.  16,  1875  (Grinnell)  j1 
Feb.,  1886,  Woodbridge  (Augur)  ;  Jan.  u,  1887,  East  Hartford 
(W.  E.  T.)  ;  Jan.  17,  1889,  Bridgeport  (Eames)  ;  Dec.  n,  1894, 
Dec.  13,  1895,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dec.  25,  1901,  Jan.  10,  1902, 
North  Haven  (Ludington,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  26,  1904, 
Stratford  (H.  W.  B.  and  J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Nest.  The  Cowbird  does  not  build  a  nest,  but  deposits  its 
egg  or  eggs  in  the  nest  of  another  and  usually  smaller  species, 
the  Red-eyed  Vireo,  Yellow  Warbler,  and  Oven-bird  being  most 
frequently  selected. 

The  following  table  shows  the  distribution  of  the  eggs  as  re- 
corded by  J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.  in  119  nests  examined.  The 
numbers  in  the  three  columns  are  the  numbers  of  nests  of  the 
species  named  containing,  respectively,  one,  two,  and  three  eggs 
of  the  Cowbird. 

Red-eyed  Vireo  16            4 

Yellow  Warbler  16             I 

Oven-bird  n             2            2 

Wilson's   Thrush  7 

Redstart  6             I 

Indigo  Bunting  5             I 

Field  Sparrow  5 

Phoebe  3             I 

Maryland  Yellow-throat  3             I 

Song  Sparrow  3            2 

Yellow-throated  Vireo  3 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler  3 

Prairie  Warbler  3 

Purple  Finch  2 

Scarlet  Tanager  2                                           , 


1Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  45. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  Ill 

Wood  Thrush  2 

Blue-winged  Warbler  2 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush  i  i 

Yellow-breasted  Chat  I  i 

One  Cowbird's  egg  was  found  in  one  nest  of  each  of  the  fol- 
lowing species,  viz.,  Orchard  Oriole,  Chipping  Sparrow,  Cedar 
Waxwing,  White-eyed  Vireo,  Worm-eating  Warbler,  Black  and 
White  Warbler,  Wood  Pewee,  and  Brown  Thrasher. 

Other  species  recorded  are  Robin  (J.  C.  A.  M.),  Towhee 
(J.  C.  A.  M.  and  Beers),  Bobolink  (L.  B.  W.),  Bluebird 
(A.  A.  S.). 

Eggs.     1-3,  per  nest;  about  the  last  of  May  or  early  in  June. 

Dates.  Earliest  record.  May  n,  1904,  April  29,  1906,  one 
in  Phoebe's  nest  (A.  A.  S.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  4,  1882,  two 
in  Red-eyed  Vireo's  nest  (L.  B.  B.). 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  Cowbird  often  injures  and 
sometimes  removes  one  or  more  of  the  eggs  of  the  host.  Fre- 
quently the  rightful  egg  has  been  found  (L.  B.  B.)  to  be  pierced 
with  small  holes,  and  at  least  twice  one  lying  on  the  ground  out- 
side the  nest.  On  the  average  a  nest  containing  an  egg  of  this 
parasite  will  be  found  to  contain  one  less  egg  of  the  species  own- 
ing the  nest  than  is  normal  to  that  bird. 

Occasionally,  as  is  well  known,  some  of  our  smaller  birds  will 
build  a  false  bottom  to  the  nest  covering  the  intruding  egg,  and 
lay  their  own  above  it.  In  a  nest  of  the  Yellow  Warbler  and  one 
of  the  Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  each  containing  four  eggs  and 
an  egg  of  the  Cowbird  buried  in  the  bottom,  found  by  J.  C.  A.  M., 
it  is  certain  that  the  Cowbird's  egg  was  the  first  laid,  as  in  each 
instance  he  had  visited  these  nests  a  week  earlier  and  had  found 
the  Cowbird's  egg  alone  in  each. 

Although  remaining  in  flocks  practically  all  the  year,  Cow- 
birds  seem  to  separate  into  pairs  for  a  short  time  in  the  spring. 
At  this  time  a  single  male  may  often  be  seen  seated  in  some  tree- 
top,  calling,  while  probably  the  female  is  looking  for  a  nest  in 
which  to  lay. 

Xanthocephalus    xanthocephalus     (Bonaparte).       Yellow- 
headed  Blackbird. 
Accidental. 


112  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Connecticut  records.  1878  (?),  New  Haven  (?),  a  female 
formerly  in  the  collection  of  Dr.  W.  H.  Hotchkiss  and  now  in 
the  collection  of  L.  B.  B.  (without  label,  but  Dr.  H.  informed 
L.  B.  B.  that  all  of  these  birds  were  taken  near  New  Haven, 
chiefly  during  the  spring  of  1878)  ;  July,  1884,  Hartford,  one  in 
a  flock  of  Red-wings  shot  (W.  E.  T.)  j1  July,  1888,  Stamford, 
female  shot  (E.  K.  Colbron).2 

Agelaius  phoeniceus  phoeniceus  (Linnaeus).  Red-winged 
Blackbird. 

An  abundant  summer  resident,  occasionally  wintering;  the 
males  arriving  on  the  average  more  than  a  month  in  advance  of 
the  females. 

Males.  Average  date  of  arrival,  March  5-20.  Earliest  rec- 
ord. New  Haven,  Feb.  10,  1896,  Feb.  19,  1887  (Hooker),  Feb. 
20,  1887  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Feb.  26,  1906. 

Females.  Average  date  of  arrival,  May  i-io.  Earliest  rec- 
ord. New  Haven,  April  13,  1887;  Portland,  April  26,  1910. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec."  7,  1893 ;  Portland,  Nov.  23, 
1906. 

Winter  Records.  Jan.  15,  1874,  Jan.  16,  1875  (Grinnell)  ;3 
Dec.  28,  1882,  Dec.  27,  1883,  Guilford,  small  flocks  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Dec.  25,  1901,  Jan.  10,  1902,  North  Haven,  several  collected 
(Ludington,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  7,  1905,  Falls  Village, 
one  seen  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  Jan.  i,  1910,  New  Haven,  several  seen,  one 
female  taken  (C.  H.  P.). 

Nest.  On  a  tussock  of  marsh  grass,  a  clump  of  weeds, 
a  bunch  of  cat- tails,  royal  fern,  or  in  a  low  bush  (alder). 

Eggs.    2-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  16,  1894,  four  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  July  2,  1881,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Agelaius  phoeniceus  fortis  Ridgway.  Thick-billed  Black- 
bird. 

A  very  rare  straggler  from  the  West  in  the  fall,  occurring 
occasionally  with  the  flocks  of  the  other  blackbirds  in  the  roosts 
in  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes. 

lAuk,  iv,  3,  p.   256. 

aO.   and  O.,  xiii,   12,  p.   189. 

8  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  45. 


No.  2O.]  THE 'BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  113 

Connecticut  records.  Dec.  25,  1901,  one  adult  male,  Jan.  10, 
1902,  young  male  and  young  female,  Nov.  n,  1903,  young  male, 
Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven  (Ludington  and  L.  B.  B., 
in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Sturnella  magna  magna  (Linnaeus).     Meadowlark. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  the  meadows  and  pastures; 
a  number  winter  regularly,  sometimes  in  large  flocks  in  the  salt 
marshes  along  the  coast,  and  scatter  about  the  country  in  the 
last  of  March  or  early  April. 

Nest.  Eggs  laid  in  a  tussock  of  grass  in  a  field,  or  under  a 
piece  of  drift  on  a  salt  marsh. 

Eggs.    4-6;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  17,  1890,  three  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  19,  1899,  five  eggs  (J.  H.  H.)  ;  May  19,  1904, 
five  eggs  (L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  2,  1888,  five  eggs 
(Beers)  ;  Aug.  14,  1883,  four  deserted  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

One  was  heard  singing  as  late'  as  Oct.  22  (1892)  by  L.  B.  B. 

Icterus  spurius   (Linnaeus).    Orchard  Oriole. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  along  the  coast  from 
the  middle  of  May  until  July,  breeding  as  far  up  the  Housatonic 
valley  as  Gaylordsville ;  breeds  rarely  inland,  however. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1908;  Portland,  April 
30,  1896. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  July  30,  1896;  Portland,  June 
16,  1904. 

Nest.  Usually  in  an  apple  or  pear  tree  in  an  orchard ;  height 
from  ground,  7-15  feet. 

Eggs.    4-5  ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  29,  1896,  four  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  28,  1904,  four  eggs  (Perry)  ; 
July  3,  1882,  four  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Inland  nesting  records.  June  2,  1885,  Portland,  nest  with 
five  eggs  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  June  10,  1900,  Gaylordsville,  nest  found 
(Austin  and  L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  nesting  site.  Feb.  16,  1907,  Portland,  old  nest  in  an 
elm,  40  feet  from  the  ground  (J.  H.  S.). 


114  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

One  bird  has  been  seen  by  Mr.  Williams  in  Winchester.1 
One  seen  in  Danbury,  May  4,  1905  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Icterus  galbula  (Linnaeus).     Baltimore  Oriole. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  orchards  and  shade 
trees  of  the  roads  and  city  streets,  from  May  until  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1894;  Portland,  April 
30,  1888.  Average  of  40  years'  records,  May  6  (J.  H.  S.)« 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  13,  1885;  Portland,  Sept. 
8,  1885. 

Winter  records.  Nov.  15,  1885,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  f  Dec. 
22,  1892,  Portland  (C.  H.  N.)  ;3  North  Haven,  Dec.  9,  1901 
(found  dead  by  Mrs.  L.  Hemingway). 

Nest.  Usually  in  an  elm,  poplar,  or  maple;  20-75  ^eet  ^rom 
the  ground;  built  by  the  female,  May  15  —  June  10. 

Eggs.    4-7;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  23,  1906,  two  eggs  (J. 
H.  S.);  May  25,  1895,  five  eggs  (H.  W.  R).  Latest  record. 
June  21,  1882,  one  egg  and  three  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Abundance  of  species.  Fifteen  nests  of  this  species  were 
noticed  in  the  trees  bordering  Quinnipiac  Avenue  in  Montowese, 
in  a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  March  3,  1893  (L.  B.  B.). 
Again,  in  a  walk  of  about  the  same  length  on  Whitney  Avenue, 
New  Haven,  35  nests  were  counted,  almost  all  in  elms,  Jan.  9, 
1901 ;  but  in  the  same  walk  on  Feb.  17,  1908,  only  10  nests  could 
be  found,  showing  the  great  decrease  of  this  species  near  New 
Haven  in  recent  years  (L.  B.  B.). 

Euphagus  carolinus  (Miiller).    Rusty  Blackbird. 

A  common  fall  migrant  in  October;  less  common  spring 
migrant. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  24, 
1888,  March  20,  1905,  1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  March  20, 
1905.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  20,  1905,  May  13, 
1907  (C.  H.  Pangburn^)  ;  Portland,  May  n,  1908. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  25,  1897, 
Sept.  15,  1897  (A.  H.  V.) ;  Portland,  Sept.  17,  1895.  Latest 

i  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  302. 

a  Auk,  iii,  i,  p.  135. 

s  O.  and  O.,  xviii,  3,  p.  47. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  115 

record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  22,  1900,  Dec.  13,  1906  (A.  A.  S.), 
Dec.  25,  1911  (C.  H.  P.).  Portland,  Nov.  3,  1908;  Litchfield, 
Nov.  24,  1906  (H.  Sanford). 

Quiscalus  quiscula  quiscula  (Linnaeus).     Purple  Crackle. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  the  pines  and  spruces  about 
the  towns  and  cities  of  the  southern  part  of  the  state ;  breeds  as 
far  north  as  Bethel,  Litchfield,  and  Portland. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  4,  1882,  Feb.  19,  1902 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Feb.  20,  1880. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  8,  1901 ;  Portland,  Nov. 
8,  1892.  These  birds  seem  to  migrate  in  two  divisions,  the  first 
leaving  between  August  24  and  30,  the  second  between  Sept.  25 
and  Oct.  30  (J.  H.  S.). 

Winter  records1.  Dec.  20,  1887,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  W.)  ; 
Dec.  28,  1895,  Hartford  (J.  P.  Hall)  ;  Dec.  12,  1907,  New  Haven 
(A.  A.  S.). 

Nest.    In  a  conifer,  from  10  to  40  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.    3-5 ;  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  25,  1892,  five  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.),  April  25,  1895,  five  eggs  (H.  W.  F.).  Latest  record. 
June  8,  1887,  five  eggs  (Watrous). 

Unusual  nest.  A  nest  in  the  rushes  of  a  marsh  near  Kent 
found  by  H.  K.  J.  Very  unusual,  since  all  other  nests  recorded 
were  in  trees  and  usually  at  some  distance  from  the  ground. 

By  the  latter  part  of  June,  the  duties  of  nidification  over,  the 
birds  assemble  in  flocks  and  frequent  the  tops  of  trees  in  the 
woods. 

Intermediates  between  Quiscalus  quiscula  quiscula  and  ceneus 
are  found  breeding  at  Portland. 

Quiscalus  quiscula  aeneus  Ridgway.     Bronzed  Crackle. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  state,  breeding  in  the  conifers  about  the  towns  as  far  south 
as  Portland.  An  abundant  fall  migrant  in  October  and  Novem- 
ber and  irregular  spring  migrant  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
state,  and  a  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  the  northern  part. 


1  Probably  some  of  these   winter  records  refer  to  Quiscalus  quiscula  aeneus. 


Il6  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  25, 
1898,  Feb.  27,  March  10,  1906  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  March  21, 
1891.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  24,  1907. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record,  New  Haven,  Oct.  6,  1903. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  12,  1889;  Portland,  Nov.  3, 
1908. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  23,  1884,  Hamden  (Munson)  ;  Jan.  17, 
1895,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  15,  1907,  Jan.  22,  1908, 
East  Haven  (F.  F.  Burr). 

Summer  records.  July  8,  1886,  Plymouth,  adult  female 
(Webb,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  July  3,  1907,  Litchfield,  one  shot 
(E.  S.  W.) 

Roost.  In  the  fall,  thousands,  probably  tens  of  thousands, 
of  blackbirds  roost  in  the  broad  beds  of  cat-tail  rushes  in  the 
Quinnipiac  Marshes,  about  six  miles  north  of  New  Haven.  Al- 
though there  are  hordes  of  Red-wings,  Cowbirds,  Rusty  Black- 
birds, and  Purple  Crackles  in  late  October  and  early  November, 
the  Bronzed  Crackles  far  outnumber  any  other  if  not  all  other 
species  combined.  The  blackbirds  assemble  as  early  as  Sept.  26 
(1904),  increasing  steadily  to  a  maximum  number  at  the  end 
of  October,  falling  off  to  the  middle  of  November,  with  a  few 
lingering  into  December  in  an  open  fall. 

Soon  after  daylight  each  morning,  the  blackbirds  leave  the 
rushes,  the  vast  majority  flying  westward  in  two  or  three 
enormous  flocks,  each  several  thousand  strong,  curving  back  and 
forth  in  long  sweeps  across  the  sky,  and  disappearing  over  the 
high  ground  to  the  west.  Later  small  scattering  flocks  fly  to  all 
points  of  the  compass.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon 
(4  o'clock)  the  Hocks  begin  to  return  from  the  west,  a  few  from 
other  directions,  settling  at  first  in  the  trees,  and  then  in  the 
rushes,  until  by  4:30  or  5  o'clock  all  have  settled  there  for  the 
night.  How  far  these  flocks  go  to  feed,  L.  B.  B.  has  been  unable 
to  ascertain;  but  it  must  be  many  miles,  for  he  has  frequently 
seen  flocks  flying  toward  these  marshes  after  4  p.  M.  at  various 
places  eight  or  more  miles  away  (e.  g.,  Yale  field,  Orange; 
Saltonstall  heights,  East  Haven;  West  Rock  Ridge,  some  miles 
north  of  Lake  Wintergreen).  They  all  go  off  to  feed,  so  that, 
during  the  daytime  in  the  fall,  blackbirds  of  all  species  are  rather 
rare  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  New  Haven. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  117 

In  a  swampy  spot,  grown  up  with  bushes  and  small  trees,  in 
the  Little  River  marshes,  near  Middletown,  is  a  roost  where 
thousands  of  blackbirds  congregate.  Here  the  Purple  and 
Bronzed  Crackles  outnumber  all  other  species  in  early  November. 
(J.  H.  S.) 

Family  FRINGILLID^E.     Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Hesperiphona  vespertina  vespertina  (W.  Cooper).  Eve- 
ning Grosbeak. 

A  very  rare  accidental  winter  visitor;  only  recorded  in  recent 
years. 

Connecticut  records.  Last  week  in  February,  1890,  Cobalt. 
(Chatham),  nine  or  ten  seen,  two  killed,  March  6,  one  male 
(Bailey,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  j1  March  2,  1890,  East  Hampton 
(Chatham),  flock  of  12-14  seen,  one  male  killed  (in  coll.  of  H. 
E.  Rich)  ;2  March  10,  1890,  Gaylordsville  (New  Milford), 
female  shot  from  flock  of  four  or  five  (E.  H.  Austin)  ;3  April  12, 
1911,  Woodstock,  male  and  female  taken  (in  coll.  of  Wadsworth 
Atheneum,  Hartford). 

The  following  reports  of  the  presence  of  this  species  in 
Connecticut  have  appeared  in  print.  That  of  February,  1905, 
in  Litchfield  was  investigated  carefully  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff, 
who  decided  the  birds  were  not  Evening  Grosbeaks;  and  some 
of  the  other  records  seem  open  to  question,  as  no  specimens  were 
collected.  Feb.  1-14,  1905,  Litchfield,  flock  of  thirty  (Hutchins)4; 
Feb.  5-22,  1907,  Bristol,  several  seen  (Bruen)  ;  Oct.  17,  1909, 
Talcott  Mt,  West  Hartford,  seen  (St.  John)5;  Jan.  13,  1911, 
Canaan,  flock  of  eight  (Adam)5;  Feb.  12,  1911,  Talcott  Mt, 
West  Hartford,  one  pair  seen  (St.  John)5;  Feb.  13,  1911,  Taft- 
ville,  a  flock  of  eight  males  and  eighteen  females  seen 
(Werking)5;  Dec.,  1910  —  April,  1911,  Woodstock,  flock  of 
about  seventy-five  seen6. 

1  Forest  and  Stream,  xxxiv,   10,  p.   187. 

*  Auk,  x,  2,  p.  207. 

3  Auk,  vii,  2,  p.   211. 

* Bird-Lore,    vii,    3,    p.    173. 

6  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  2,  p.  94. 

6 Hartford  Courant,  Apr.  4,  1911. 


Il8  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Pinicola  enucleator  leucura   (Muller).     Pine  Grosbeak. 

A  rather  rare  and  irregular  winter  resident  from  November 
to  March;  usually  absent,  but  occasionally  occurring  in  consider- 
able numbers. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  31,  1903;  Portland,  Nov. 
I,  1903. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  March  n,  1884;  Portland,  April 
6,  1903. 

Occurrence.  New  Haven,  Feb.,  March,  1883  (G.  E.  V.)  ; 
Jan.,  March,  1884  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  March,  1884  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  March, 
1893  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.,  1893  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  March,  1907  (L.  B. 
B.).;  Jan.,  Feb.,  1896,  large  flights  in  New  Haven  and  Stamford 
(L.  B.  B.,  Andrews,  Hoyt)  ;  Oct.,  Nov.,  1903,  and  winter,  1903-4, 
large  flights,  New  Haven  and  Stamford  (L.  B.  B.,  Hoyt). 
Portland,  Feb.,  March,  1873,  Nov.,  1874  —  March,  1875,  Nov., 
1875,  Dec.,  1877,  1878,  Jan.,  1881,  Dec.,  1882  — Feb.,  1883,  Jan. 
—  March,  1884,  Dec.,  1887,  Jan.  —  March,  1893,  Nov.,  1895  — 
March,  1896,  Dec.,  1896,  Jan.,  1898,  1900,  Nov.,  1903  —  April, 
1904,  large  flights,  Nov.,  1906,  Nov.,  1907  —  March,  1908,  large 
flights,  Jan.,  1909.  Litchfield,  Oct.  26  —  Dec.  10,  1903,  several 
small  flocks,  Nov.,  1906  (E.  S.  W.).  New  Canaan,  1903-4, 
1904-5  (Mrs.  Neide,  by  W.  H.  H.).  Clinton,  Nov.,  1903  (H. 
W.  F.).  Westbrook,  Nov.,  1903  (Hooker).  Sharon,  Jan.,  1904 
(Smith).  Lakeville,  1903-4  (J.  Truelove).  Northford,  Nov., 
1906  (E.  S.  W.). 

The  above  records  show  the  irregularity  of  the  occurrence  of 
this  species,  some  winters  passing  without  a  record,  and  other 
winters  having  several.  It  further  shows  the  two  greatest  flights, 
the  winter  of  1895-6,  and  1903-4,  the  latter  flight  being  recorded 
not  only  from  New  Haven  and  Portland,  but  also  from  Stam- 
ford, Litchfield,  New  Canaan,  Sharon,  Lakeville,  Clinton,  and 
Westbrook. 

Carpodacus  purpureus  purpureus  (Gmelin).    Purple  Finch. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident;  winters  irregularly  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  state;  most  abundant  during  migrations 
in  March,  October,  and  November. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  9, 
1904;  Portland,  March  10,  1894.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 

May  15,  1907,  1909,  May  25,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May 
30,  1889. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  30,  1903 ; 
Portland,  Oct.  8,  1894.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec.  4, 
1896;  Portland,  Dec.  9,  1884. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven,  Jan.  4,  Feb.  n,  1882,  Dec.  28, 
1883,  Feb.  16,  Dec.  29,  1884,  Jan.  15,  1902,  Feb.  24,  1912;  Dec. 

26,  1906  —  Feb.  27,  1907,  and  up  to  Jan.  2,  1908  (A.  A.  S.). 
Portland,  Dec.  12,  14,  21,  1877,  Feb.  25,  1882,  Feb.  29,  1884,  Dec. 
16,  1895,  Feb.  3,  1896,  Feb.  15,  1898,  Jan.  23,  1909. 

Nest.    In  a  conifer;  about  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     2-4;  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  25,  1898,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  H.).  Latest  record.  July  8,  1884,  two  eggs  (E.  H.  E.). 

In  Litchfield  it  is  a  common  summer  resident  (E.  S.  W.),  but 
it  is  rare  at  that  season  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state. 

Loxia  curvirostra  minor  (Brehm).     Crossbill. 

A  rare  and  irregular  winter  resident  between  November  and 
May. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  n,  1906;  Portland,  Dec. 
10,  1874. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  12,  1883  >  Portland,  May  2, 
1907. 

Occurrence.  New  Haven,  May  12,  1883  (L.  B.  B.),  April 
14,  1884  (Trowbridge)  ;  March  3-9,  1888  (H.  W.  R,  A.  H.  V.)  ; 
Dec.,  1889  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Jan.  24-5,  Feb.  i,  1890  (L.  B.  W.)  ; 
Jan.  31,  Feb.  14,  1895,  Jan.  24,  1900,  Nov.  4,  1903,  Oct.  n  —  Nov. 

27,  1906  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  25,  1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Dec.  26,  1909 
(C.  H.  P.  and  A.  W.  H.).    Portland,  Dec.  10,  1874,  Jan  26,  1875, 
April  5,  1885,  March  14,  April  19,  1893,  March  5,  1895,  May  2, 
1907.    Bridgeport,  Feb.  27,  1900  (Beers)  ;  Feb.  28,  1905  (Ham- 
lin).    Stamford,  Feb.  10,  1890  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Feb.,  1893  (Porter). 
New     London,     winter,     1899-1900,     large     numbers      (Hill). 
Cheshire,  Jan.,  1897   (Hotchkiss). 

Loxia  leucoptera  Gmelin.    White-winged  Crossbill. 
A  rare  straggler  in  winter. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  3,  1906;  Portland,  Dec. 
14,  1899. 


I2O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Feb.  21,  1900,  Feb.  26,  1888 
(C.  C.  T.)  ;  Portland,.  May  12,  1900. 

Connecticut  records.  Dec.  25,  1874,  Jan.  27,  1875,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.);  Jan.,  Feb.,  March,  1875,  "not  uncommon"  (Mer- 
riam)  j1  Dec.  7,  9,  1880,  Norwich  (Case,  recorded  by  S.  T.  Hoi- 
brook)  ?  Feb.  10-26,  1888,  New  Haven  (Trowbridge)  ;  Dec., 
1889,  New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Jan.  27,  1894  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  (for 
winter,  1899-1900,  see  next  paragraph)  ;  winter,  1903-4,  New 
Canaan  (reported  by  Hoyt)  :  Nov.  I,  1906,  Stony  Creek  (A.  H. 
V.)  ;  Nov.  3  —  Dec.  15,  1906,  New  Haven,  common  (L.  B.  B.  and 
E.  S.  W.)  ;  Jan.  5  —  Feb.  20,  1907,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Feb. 
27  —  March  2,  1909,  Middletown,  two  remained  feeding  in  a 
spruce  tree  for  several  days  (Bliss). 

Unusual  flight,  winter,  1899-1900.  A  great  flight  of  this 
species  that  visited  New  England  this  winter  reached  southern 
Connecticut,  being  frequently  noted  in  several  places:  Portland, 
Dec.  14  —  April  16,  frequently  seen,  especially  abundant  in  Jan. 
and  Feb.  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  New  London,  until  March  i,  in  large  num- 
bers (Hill)  ;  Saybrook,  early  in  Nov.,  through  Dec.  (J.  N.  C.)  ; 
Guilford,  Jan.  24  (A.  H.  V.,  L.  B.  B.)  ;  New  Haven,  common  in 
flocks  Feb.  6-21  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Bridgeport,  Feb.  27,  hundreds  seen 
(Beers);  Stamford,  March  10  (Hoyt).  They  obtained  a  large 
portion  of  their  food  from  the  fallen  seeds  of  the  hemlock,  feed- 
ing among  the  dry  leaves  like  sparrows. 

Acanthis  hornemanni  exilipes  (Coues).     Hoary  Redpoll. 

Connecticut  record.  Nov.  24,  1906,  East  Haven,  an  adult 
female  shot  from  a  flock  of  common  Redpolls  by  L.  B.  B.  in 
company  with  E.  S.  W. 

Acanthis  linaria  linaria  (Linnaeus).     Redpoll. 

An  irregular  winter  resident;  formerly  sometimes  common; 
scarce  between  1882  and  1906  in  southern  Conne9ticut. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  24,  1906,  Oct.  29,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.) ;  Portland,  Nov.  27,  1889. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  5,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Port- 
land, May  n,  1900. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of   Conn.,  p.  35. 
«  O.  and  O.,  vi,  4,  p.  31. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  121 

Occurrence.  Portland,  Feb.  22,  1875,  Dec.  6,  1878,  Dec.  21, 
1880,  Dec.  30,  1882,  Feb.  9-10,  1883,  Dec.  9,  1884,  March  29, 
1888,  Nov.  27,  1889,  April  5,  1890,  ^an.  30,  1896,  Feb.  19,  1896, 
Dec.  6,  1899,  May  n,  1900.  New  Haven  and  vicinity,  1866 
(Whitney)  ;  Jan.  15,  22,  1879  (Woolsey,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ; 
Jan.  22,  1879  (Osborne,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  about  Feb.  15, 
1883  (Osborne)  ;  March  2,  1884  (Allen)  ;  April  I,  1890  (L.  B. 
W.)  ;  Jan.  27,  1894  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  Feb.  27,  1900  (Beers)  ;  Oct.  29, 
1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Nov.  24,  Dec.  8,  18,  1906,  Jan.  22,  27,  1907  (E. 
S.  W.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  abundant  Dec.  12,  1906 — March  15,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  seen  frequently,  winter  of  1908-9  (C.  H.  P.,  D.  B.  P., 
A.  W.  H.).  Bridgeport,  Nov.  22,  1889  (Lucas,  in  coll.  of  Beers). 
Fairfield,  Feb.  22,  1900  (Beers).  Stamford,  Jan.,  1889  (Camp, 
in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.).  Stony  Creek,  Nov.,  1902  (A.  E.  V.). 
Branford,  Jan.  31,  1904  (Nichols).  Litchfield,  March,  1896 
(Sanford)  ;  Nov.  29  —  Dec.  I,  1906  (E.  S.  W.).  Danbury,  com- 
mon, winter  of  1908-9  (J.  C.  A.  M.).  Middletown,  March  6, 
1909  (flock  appeared  about  two  weeks  before)  (Bliss).  Middle 
Haddam,  Jan.  28,  1912  (G.  N.  Lawson). 

Acanthis  linaria  rostrata  (Coues).    Greater  Redpoll. 

The  only  Connecticut  record  is  as  follows:  Dec.  17,  1878, 
New  Haven,  two  taken  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Hotchkiss  (in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.). 

Astragalinus  tristis  tristis  (Linnaeus).     Goldfinch. 

An  abundant  resident,  keeping  in  flocks  from  September  to 
May. 

Nest.  Frequently  in  a  maple  in  the  streets  of  some  village, 
or  in  some  other  tree,  at  from  5  to  30  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.    4-6;  late  in  July  or  early  in  August. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  July  I,  1900,  five  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  Aug.  31,  1906,  five  eggs  (A.  A.  S.). 

Spinus  pinus  (Wilson).    Pine  Siskin. 

An  irregular  winter  resident  from  November  until  April; 
sometimes  very  abundant,  but  usually  absent. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  8,  1906;  Portland,  Oct.  15, 
1908. 


122  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  7,  23  (?),  1888,  May  19, 
1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  22,  1911. 

Occurrence.  New  Havef^  Nov.,  1882,  Dec.,  1884,  Oct.,  1887 
(L.  B.  W.),  May,  Oct.,  1888,  Oct.,  1889  (L.  B.  W.),  March, 
1894,  Feb.,  April,  1896,  Jan.,  Feb.,  April,  1900,  Oct.,  1906,  Jan., 
May,  1907,  Nov.,  1911;  Portland,  March,  1884,  Oct.,  1887  — 
May,  1888,  Nov.,  1889  —  May,  1890,  April,  1892,  Dec.,  1895  — 
March,  1896,  Dec.,  1899  —  March,  1900,  March,  1902,  May, 
1904,  Feb.,  1907,  Feb.  —  May,  1908,  Oct.,  1908  —  May,  1909, 
May,  1911,  Feb. — April,  1912. 

Plectrophenax  nivalis  nivalis  (Linnaeus).     Snow  Bunting. 

An  irregular  winter  resident  from  November  to  March,  most 
frequent  near  the  coast;  occasionally  in  large  flocks,  but  more 
often  not  more  than  a  dozen  birds  together. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  2,  1906,  Oct.  22,  1889 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  29,  1876. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  March  8,  1882 ;  Portland,  March 
20,  1875. 

At  Stamford  it  has  been  taken  in  September  (Schaler),  and 
as  late  as  March  19,  1892  (L.  H.  P.). 

Large  flocks.  Jan.  25,  1875,  Portland,  flock  of  200  seen  (J. 
H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  15,  1883,  Hamden,  a  flock  that  covered  acres  (Os- 
borne)  ;  Jan.  18,  1884,  Portland,  flock  of  150  seen  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Jan.  27,  1898,  Orange,  flock  of  200  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.,  1905,  Dan- 
bury,  flock  of  over  200  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Calcarius  lapponicus  lapponicus  (Linnaeus).  Lapland  Long- 
spur. 

A  rare  and  probably  accidental  late  fall  migrant. 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam1  recorded  (1877),  that  one 
was  taken,  Nov.,  1874,  at  Suffield  by  Shores,  others  at  New 
Haven  (no  date)  by  Nichols,  and  others  at  Portland  by  W.  W. 
C.  (reported  by  Grinnell)  ;  March  I,  1875  (approximately), 
Portland,  one  received,  caught  here  (W.  W.  C.)  ;  Nov.  29,  1884, 
Saybrook,  male  (H.  W.  F.,  in  coll.  of  Brewster)  ;  March  29, 
1888,  Saybrook,  a  male  shot  (W.  E.  T.,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
Dec.  12,  1891,  Stratford,  male  and  female  taken  (Beers)  ;  Nov. 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  36. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  123 

ii,  1892,  West  Haven,  male  captured  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  March  4, 
1893,  Bridgeport,  four  males  (Eames)  ;  April  2,  1893,  West 
Haven  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  10,  1893,  West 
Haven,  a  male  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  Porter)  ;  Dec.  30,  1893, 
Stratford,  a  female  (Dunbar,  in  coll.  of  Beers)  ;  Nov.  22,  1895, 
West  Haven,  a  male  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  Oct.,  1904,  Winchester,  flock 
of  seven  or  eight  seen  by  Williams  (H.  K.  J.)  j1  winter,  1904-5, 
North  Bridgeport,  three  flocks  seen  (Hamlin)  ;  Feb.  12,  1905, 
Kent,  one  seen  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  Jan.  21,  1907,  New  Haven,  seven  seen 
(A.  A.  S.). 

Pooecetes  gramineus  gramineus  (Gmelin).  Vesper  Spar- 
row. 

Formerly  an  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  upland 
meadows  from  April  until  October;  now  rare  over  most  of  the 
state,  none  being  found  in  places  along  the  coast  where  they  were 
common  a  few  years  ago. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  3,  1888,  March  23,  1907 
(C.  H.  Pangburn)  ;  Portland,  April  i,  1905,  1908;  Bridgeport, 
March  14,  1902  ?  Jewett  City,  March  20,  1 889.2 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  3,  1897,  1906,  Nov.  4,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  21,  1890. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  31,  1887,  New  Haven,  one  male  taken 
(A.  H.  V.)  ;  Feb.  i,  1889,  Guilford,  one  taken  (L.  B.  B.) ;  Feb. 
17,  1902,  Saybrook,  two  spending  winter  there  (J.  N.  C.). 

Nest.  On  the  ground,  usually  in  the  grass  of  a  dry  and  sandy 
field. 

Egg's-    3-5 ;  ^st  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  I,  1906,  four  eggs  (A. 
A.  S.).;  May  3,  1881,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.).  Latest  record.  July 
26,  1894,  three  eggs  (H.  W.  B.). 

This  species  seems  never  to  have  recovered  from  the  great 
freeze  of  1895,  when  so  many  thousands  of  birds  perished  in  the 
southern  states,  and  has  become  rarer  annually  since  that  date. 

Passerculus  princeps  Maynard.     Ipswich  Sparrow. 
A  rare  migrant  and  still  rarer  winter  resident,  in  the  beach 
grass  of  the  seashore  from  November  to  March. 

1  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird   Study,   p.   303. 
«  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  2,  p.  86. 


124  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Connecticut  records.  Nov.  4,  1875,  New  Haven,  female  taken 
(Merriam)  j1  March  24,  1883,  Madison,  one  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Nov.  26,  1884,  West  Haven,  one  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  12,  14, 
Dec.  31,  1887,  West  Haven,  three  males  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  Jan.  2,  1888, 
Woodbridge  [?],  female  (A.  H.  V.).;  Oct.  19,  two,  Oct.  22, 
one,  23,  one,  30,  one,  1889,  West  Haven  (L.  B..  W.)  ;  Jan.  5, 
1892,  Bridgeport,  male  (Eames)  ;  Nov.  I,  one,  Nov.  3,  two,  1892, 
West  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Nov.  25,  1905,  New  Haven,  male  (E. 
S.  W.)  ;  Oct.  22,  1906,  New  Haven  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Jan.  3,  1910, 
West  Haven  (A.  A.  S.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  8,  1911,  West 
Haven,  one  (L.  B.  B.). 

Passerculus  sandwichensis  savanna  (Wilson).  Savannah 
Sparrow. 

An  abundant  fall  migrant  in  September  and  October  through- 
out the  state;  a  tolerably  common  spring  migrant  in  April  on  the 
coast,  rarer  inland;  a  few  breed  at  the  borders  of  the  larger  salt 
marshes  and  on  inland  meadows;  they  very  rarely  winter. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  29, 
1901,  March  24,  1906  (E.  S.  W.),  March  24,  1883  (L.  C.  S.)  ; 
Portland,  April  6,  1890;  Hartford,  March  31,  i888.2  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  May  22,  1909;  Portland,  May  27,  1881. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  27,  1897 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  21,  1892,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
Nov.  21,  1904;  Portland,  Oct.  26,  1892;  Hartford,  Nov.  29,  i888.2 

Winter  records.  Jan.  19,  1895,  West  Haven,  male,  taken, 
Dec.  26,  1911,  East  Haven,  male  taken  (L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.  In  the  grass  of  a  meadow  bordering  the  large  salt 
marshes,  as  those  at  Hammonasset  Point,  the  Stratford'  Marshes, 
and  formerly  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes. 

Eggs-    4-5  J  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  30,  1887,  four  eggs 
(Watrous).  Latest  record.  June  n,  1888,  four  eggs  (H.  W.  F.). 

This  species  is  found  as  a  tolerably  common  summer  resident 
in  Litchfield  by  L.  B.  W. 

Ammodramus  savannarum  afustralis  Maynard.  Grass- 
hopper Sparrow. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  36. 
*Bird-Lore,  xiii,  3,  p.   144. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  125 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  to  July,  chiefly  of  the 
dry  upper  meadows,  but  breeding. also  to  the  borders  of  the  salt 
marshes  of  the  coast. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  22,  1888;  Portland, 
May  5,  1879,  1902,  1904. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  6,  1896;  Litchfield,  Sept. 
18,  1891  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  East  Hartford,  Oct.  21,  1885  (W.  E.  T.). 

Nest.     On  the  ground  in  a  meadow. 

Eggs.    4-6;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  23,  1897,  six  eggs  (J. 
C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  22,  1895,  four  eggs  (H.  W.  B.). 

This  species  has  never  been  found  at  Stamford  by  either  Hoyt 
or  Porter. 

Passerherbulus  henslowi  henslowi  (Audubon).  Henslow's 
Sparrow. 

A  summer  resident ;  common  locally  in  Litchfield  County,  rare 
elsewhere  in  Connecticut. 

Earliest  record.    April  27,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 

Latest  record.     Oct.  8,  1901,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 

Records  outside  of  Litchfield  County.  Danbury  (Fairfield 
Co.)  :  May  14,  1905,  two  seen;  June  i,  1905,  set  of  five  eggs; 
May  6,  1906,  and  later,  seen;  1908,  a  number  seen  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 
Bridgeport  (Fairfield  to.)  :  April  30,  I9O3.1  West  Haven 
(New  Haven  Co.)  :  Oct.  27,  1888,  one  found  dead  (L.  B.  W.). 
Northford  (New  Haven  Co.)  :  1890,  two  pairs  breeding  there 
(A.  M.  Linsley).2  Killingworth  (Middlesex  Co.):  July  18, 
1873,  one  killed  (Hall).3  Norwich  (New  London  Co.)  :  July 
3,  1882,  set  of  eggs  found  ("Hawk").4  Eastford  (Windham 
Co.)  :  May,  1881,  C.  M.  Jones  records5  that  Henslow's  Sparrows 
have  been  on  the  increase  there  during  the  past  five  or  six  years. 
Pomfret  (Windham  Co.)  :  June  I,  1906,  heard  singing  (L.  B.  B.). 
Windsor  (Hartford  Co.)  :  May  24,  1906,  male  shot  (E.  S.  W.). 

Nest.  On  the  ground  among  the  ferns  and  grasses,  composed 
of  dry  grass,  loosely  woven  together. 


1  Bird-Lore,  xii,   i,  p.  14. 
3  Oologist,  viii,  9,  p.   180. 

3  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  37. 

4  Young  Oologist,  i,  n,  p.  154. 
6O.  and  O.,  vi,  3,  pp.  17-18. 


126  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 


3-5  ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  I,  1905,  five  eggs  (J. 
C.  A.  M.  and  L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  6,  1879,  three  eggs 
(C.  M.  Jones).1 

This  species  frequents  hillside  meadows  and  swamps  partially 
overgrown  with  shrubbery. 

Passerherbulus  caudacutus  (Gmelin).  Sharp-tailed  Spar- 
row. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  salt  marshes  from  May 
to  October,  often  lingering  into  December  and  probably  occa- 
sionally wintering. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4,  1887,  April  30,  1889 
(L.  B.  W.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  10,  1883,  Nov.  12,  1892 
(H.  W.  R). 

Winter  records.  Dec.  2,  1882,  Dec.  31,  1885,  Dec.  12,  1889, 
Guilford  (L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.    In  the  salt  grass,  frequently  under  a  little  drift  material. 

Eggs.    3-7,  usually  4  or  5  ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  21,  1890,  nest  with 
eggs  (L.  B.  W.).  Latest  record.  June  21,  1882,  three  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  A  set  of  7  eggs  taken,  New  Haven,  May  31,  1897 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Partial  albino  records.  Dec.  31,  1885,  Guilford  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Oct.  12,  1900,  Nov.  7,  1903,  West  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  24, 
1904  (L.  B.  B.),  Oct.  8,  1909  (L.  C.  S.),  Quinnipiac  Marshes, 
North  Haven;  Oct.  25,  1905  (E.  S.  W.),  Oct.  14,  27,  1905  (L. 
B.  B.),  New  Haven. 

Another  anomaly.  A  few  of  the  feathers  of  the  Juvenal 
plumage  on  the  upper  parts  remained  adherent  to  the  tips  of  the 
feathers  of  the  first  winter  plumage,  as  the  natal  down  usually 
does  to  the  Juvenal,  in  specimens  of  this  species  taken  in  West 
Haven,  Oct.  12,  1900,  Oct.  18,  1901,  and  Oct.  21,  1903  (L.  B.  B.). 

A  female  hybrid  between  this  species  and  the  Seaside  Spar- 
row (Passerherbulus  maritimus  maritimus)  was  collected  near 
New  Haven,  May  I,  1890,  by  H.  W.  F.  (now  in  coll.  of 
Brewster)  . 


1  O.  and  O.,  vi,  3,  pp.  17-8. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  127 

Passerherbulus  nelsoni  nelsoni  (Allen).    Nelson's  Sparrow. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  migrant  in  early  October;  a  rare 
spring  migrant  the  last  of  May;  confined  almost  exclusively  to 
the  salt  marshes  of  the  coast,  and  the  wild  rice,  or  water  oats, 
growing  along  the  larger  rivers. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  30, 
1902.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  June  I,  1901. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  14,  1904; 
Portland,  Sept.  21,  1892.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  29, 
1904;  Portland,  Oct.  22,  1894;  East  Hartford,  Oct.  30,  1891 
(W.  E.  T.). 

Unusual  record.  Litchfield,  Sept.  28,  1906  (E.  S.  W.).  (In- 
land, and  at  a  distance  from  a  large  river.) 

In  large  series  of  P.  nelsoni  nelsoni  and  P.  nelsoni  subvirgatus, 
and  an  equal  number  of  P.  caudacutus,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.,  no 
intermediates  can  be  found. 

Passerherbulus  nelsoni  subvirgatus  (Dwight).  Acadian 
Sharp-tailed  Sparrow. 

A  common  fall  migrant  in  October,  and  much  rarer  spring 
migrant  the  last  of  May,  keeping  very  closely  as  a  rule  to  the  salt 
marshes  of  the  coast,  and  the  wild  rice,  or  water  oats,  growing 
along  some  of  the  larger  rivers. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  24, 
1900,  May  21,  1892  (H.  W.  R).  Latest  record.  North  Madi- 
son, June  9  (Dr.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.).1 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  27,  1900; 
Portland,  Sept.  26,  1892;  Lyme,  Sept  25,  1896  (W.  E.  T.). 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  8,  1904;  Portland,  Oct.  21, 
1893. 

Passerherbulus  maritimus  maritimus  (Wilson).  Seaside 
Sparrow. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  salt  marshes  from  May 
until  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  30,  1894,  April  28,  1890 
(H.  W.  F.). 

lAuk,   iv,  p.   236. 


128  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  19,  1893,  1900,  Oct.  30, 
1889  (L.  B.  W.). 

Winter  records.  Dec.  30,  1882,  Dec.  12,  1889,  Guilford  (L> 
B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  18,  1888  (A.  H.  V.),  Jan.  17,  1888,  Nov.  17,  1892 
(H.  W.  K),  New  Haven;  Dec.  17,  1884,  West  Haven  (Webb). 

Nest.     In  the  salt  grass. 

Eggs-    3-5  ;  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  16,  1894,  four  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  12,  1883,  four  eggs  (J.  N.  C). 

Partial  albinos.  Oct.  30,  1889,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Dec. 
12,  1889,  Guilford,  male,  the  entire  interscapular  region,  most  of 
the  scapulars,  the  entire  lower  parts,  and  scattered  contour 
feathers  in  the  rest  of  the  plumage,  white  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  17, 
1892,  Quinnipiac  Marshes,  female  with  many  white  feathers 
(H.  WTR). 

Zonotrichia  leucophrys  leucophrys  (J.  R.  Forster)..  White- 
crowned  Sparrow. 

A  rather  rare  and  irregular  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May 
and  October;  more  common  in  the  fall. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4, 
1896;  Portland,  May  12,  1889,  1905.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  19,  1902;  Portland,  May  22,  1888. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1903 ; 
Portland,  Oct.  2,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  26, 
1905;  Portland,  Oct.  16,  1893. 

Winter  records.  Nov.  28,  Dec.  5,  1874  (Merriam)  j1  March 
20,  1875,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

During  the  fall  of  1893  this  species  was  frequently  noted  in 
the  vicinity  of  Portland  by  J.  H.  S.,  and  in  the  fall  of  1903  near 
New  Haven  by  L.  B.  B.  Near  New  Haven  it  has  been  noted 
19  times  in  ii  different  years  since  1881  by  L.  B.  B.  Other 
records  outside  of  Portland  and  New  Haven  include  the  follow- 
ing: Stamford,  May  12,  1890  (Hoyt),  Oct.  8,  1892  (Porter)  ; 
Litchfield,  Oct.  10,  1891  (L.  B.  W.),  Oct.  10,  1905  (Sanford)  ; 
East  Hartford,  May  6,  1893,  Oct.  16,  19,  1895  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  Dan- 
bury,  May  21,  1905  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  Stratford,  Oct.  14,  1891, 
1892  (Eames). 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  40. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  129 

Zonotrichia  albicollis  (Gmelin).      White-throated  Sparrow. 

A  common  spring  migrant  in  April  and  May,  and  even  more 
common  fall  migrant  in  late  September  and  October ;  occasionally 
winters;  rare  summer  resident. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  1 1, 
1882;  Portland,  April  13,  1892.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  25,  1909;  Portland,  May  21,  1888. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  13,  1904; 
Portland,  Sept.  15,  1877.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  20, 
1907;  Portland,  Nov.  28,  1885. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  6,  1882,  Dec.  19,  1900,  Guilford  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  I,  1886,  Dec.  25,  1902,  Feb.  7,  1903,  Jan.  26,  1905, 
Portland  (J.  H.  S.) ;  Dec.  20,  1904,  Woodmont  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
abundant  from  Dec.  13,  1906,  until  spring  of  1907,  New  Haven 
(A.  A.  S.) ;  Dec.  25,  1909,  New  Haven  (C  H.  P.  and  A.  W.  H.). 

Summer  records.  June  18,  1904,  Salisbury  (J.  H.  S.  and 
L.  B.  B.  )  ( ?)  ;  July  8,  1905,  Winsted  ( J.  H.  S.)  ;  June  26,  !Qo6, 
Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 

Spizella  monticola  monticola  (Gmelin).    Tree  Sparrow. 

A  common  winter  resident,  arriving  in  November  and 
leaving  in  March;  very  abundant  during  these  two  months. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  16,  1900,  Oct.  15,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  10,  1890. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  18,  1885,  April  28,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.  and  Pangburn)  ;  Portland,  April  25,  1907,  1908. 

The  majority  of  these  birds  wintering  in  this  state  seem  to 
be  males.  Their  songs  may  be  heard  almost  any  mild  day  during 
the  winter. 

Spizella  passerina  passerina  (Bechstein).  Chipping  Spar- 
row. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  orchards  and  gardens  from 
April  to  October. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  2,  1904,  March  28,  1902 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  5,  1892,  1910;  Hartford,  April  4, 
1906  j1  Jewett  City,  April  5,  I9O7.1 


1  Bird-Lore,  xi,  6,   pp.   256-7. 
9 


I3O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  31,  1902;  Portland,  Oct.  23, 
1890,  1909;  Hartford,  Oct.  29,  1887;*  East  Hartford,  Nov.  19, 
1888  (W.  E.  T.). 

Winter  records.  Feb.  23,  1877  (Grinnell)  ;2  Nov.  17,  1905, 
Light  House  Point,  New  Haven  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Dec.  8,  1906,  New 
Haven  (E.  S.  W.). 

Nest.    In  a  bush,  vine  or  tree,  5-15  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.    2-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  10,  1896,  four  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  23,  1883,  two  young 
(L.  B.  B.). 

The  Chipping  Sparrow  chooses  some  very  odd  places  for  its 
nest.  It  has  been  found  built  on  the  ground  (L.  B.  B.  and  J.  C. 
A.  M.),  in  very  low  bushes  just  a  few  inches  from  the  ground, 
on  a  dead  limb  (J.  H.  S.),  etc. 

A  set  of  five  eggs  was  taken  near  New  London,  May  29, 
1897  (J.  H.  H.),  and  an  unspotted  egg  in  North  Haven,  May  23, 
1883  (W.  A.  Robbins,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

A  female,  many  of  whose  breast  feathers  had  dark  central 
shafts  —  as -in  Juvenal  Plumage  —  was  taken  in  East  Haven,  May 
1904  (L.  B.  B.). 

Spizella  pusilla  pusilla  (Wilson).     Field  Sparrow. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  from  April  to  November ;  rarely 
wintering. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  29,  1898,  March  14, 
1902  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  March  28,  1910. 

Latest  Record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  30,  1901 ;  Portland,  Oct. 
26,  1892. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  2,  1875  (Merriam)  f  Dec.  31,  1883, 
New  Haven  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Jan.  31,  1885,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Jan.  i,  1886,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Jan.  n,  26,  1886,  Jan.  20-6, 
1887,  East  Hartford  (W.  E.  T.)  ;3  Jan.  5,  1891,  Feb.  6,  n,  1892, 
New  Haven  (Hedges)  ;  Jan.  26,  1901,  Dec.  18,  1906,  New  Haven 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  26,  1907,  North  Haven  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  a  small 
flock,  Jan.  19  — Feb  4,  1906,  Dec.  n,  1906  — Feb.  26,  1907,  and 
Dec.  7,  1907,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.). 

1  Bird-Lore,   xi,   6,   pp.   256-7. 

a  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  39. 

*Aukf  iv,  3,  p.  259. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  13! 

Nest.  On  the  ground  near  the  borders  of  an  open  field,  or 
i  to  3  feet  from  the  ground  in  a  bush,  frequently  a  juniper. 

Eggs.    3-5 ;  late  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  10,  1887,  four  eggs 
(H.  W.  B.),  May  10,  1896,  four  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest 
record.  July  29,  1900,  three  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Partial  albinos.  Aug.  26,  1893,  Stamford,  entire  plumage  un- 
usually pale,  tail  feathers  almost  white  (Porter)  ;  May  2,  1899, 
New  Haven,  male  with  scattered  white  contour  feathers  (L.  B. 
B.)  ;  Jan.  26,  1907,  North  Haven  (E.  S.  W.). 

Junco  hyemalis  hyemalis  (Linnaeus).     Slate-colored  Junco. 
An  abundant  fall  and  spring  migrant  in  October,  November, 
and  March,  and  common  winter  resident. 

Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  Sept.  19,  1900;  Portland,  Sept. 

15,  1903- 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4,  1898;  Portland,  April 
27,  1907. 

Summer  record.  A  young  male  in  striped  Juvenal  plumage 
taken  at  New  Haven,  July  27,  1903  (L.  B.  B.). 

Partial  albinos.  A  young  bird  having  the  crown  and  most 
of  the  wings  and  tail  ashy  white,  taken  at  New  Haven,  Dec.  21, 
1900  (L.  B.  B.).  Birds  with  the  greater  primary  coverts  spotted 
with  white  have  been  taken  near  New  Haven,  Oct.  25,^1901,  Nov. 
10,  1903,  and  March  29,  1904  (L.  B.  B.). 

Melospiza  melodia  melodia  (Wilson).     Song  Sparrow. 

An  abundant  summer  and  tolerably  common  winter  resident, 
the  great  majority  arriving  early  in  March  and  leaving  in 
November. 

It  winters  regularly  along  the  shores  of  the  Sound,  and  was 
especially  abundant  near  New  Haven  and  Bridgeport  in  Decem- 
ber, 1904. 

Period  of  singing.  Earliest  record.  Feb.  21,  1900.  Latest 
record.  Oct.  24,  1892. 

Nest.  On  the  ground,  or  in  bushes  and  vines,  3-8  feet  from 
the  ground,  usually  partially  covered  with  dry  grass,  weeds,  or 
leaves,  so  as  to  be  protected. 

Eggs.    3-8 ;  usually  4  or  5 ;  the  last  of  May. 


132  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  3,  1886,  four  eggs 
(Webb).  Latest  record.  Aug.  24,  1883,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  set.  May  24,  1894,  Stamford,  eight  deserted  eggs 
found,  all  closely  resembling  one  another  (Porter). 

Partial  albino.  A  female  with  head  and  throat  unspotted 
white,  taken  in  Bridgeport,  May  28,  1890  (Eames,  in  coll.  of 
H.  W.  B.). 

Melospiza  lincolni  lincolni  (Audubon).     Lincoln's  Sparrow. 

A  rare  fall  and  still  rarer  spring  migrant  in  September  and 
May. 

Spring  records.  Merriam  records1  one  taken  in  spring  of 
1875,  at  Saybrook,  by  J.  N.  C,  three  in  spring  of  1877,  at  Lyme, 
by  J.  G.  Ely,  and  three  more  at  Suffield,  by  E.  I.  Shores ;  April  24, 
1886,  East  Hartford  (W.  E.  T.)  f  May  18,  1890,  Stamford 
Porter)  ;  May  23,  1892,  East  Hartford,  male  and  female  shot 
(W.  E.  T.)  ;3  May  15,  1900,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May,  1901, 
Stamford  (Hoyt)  ;  May  12,  1907  (A.  A.  S.). 

Fall  records.  Sept.  21,  1885,  East  Hartford,  female  (W.  E. 
T.)  ;  Sept.  15,  1887,  Sept.  27,  1888,  New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ; 
fall,  1891,  Stamford  (O.  P.  Hoyt)  ;  Sept.  21,  1892,  Portland, 
one  taken,  Sept.  21,  27,  30,  Oct.  3,  5,  1893,  Portland,  many  seen, 
eight  obtained  by  W.  E.  T.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  2,  1893, 
Stamford  (Porter)  ;  Sept.  14,  24,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept. 
23,  New  Haven  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  Sept.  25,  28,  Oct.  26,  1895,  New 
Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Sept.  29,  Oct.  13,  1903,  New  Haven  (L.  B. 
B.)  ;  Oct.  13,  1906,  New  Haven  (E.  S.  W.) ;  Oct.  6,  1911,  New 
Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Melospiza  georgiana  (Latham).     Swamp  Sparrow. 

A  common  spring  and  abundant  fall  migrant  in  April,  May, 
September,  and  October;  a  tolerably  common  summer  resident 
of  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  but  in  the  southern  part  known 
to  breed  only  in  the  upper  section  of  the  Quinnipiac  Marshes, 
where  it  is  common,  and  near  Bridgeport;  very  rare  winter 
resident. 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.  38-9. 
*Auk,  iii,  4,  P.  487. 
8  Auk,  x.  2.  p.  206. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  133 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  2, 
1895,  1901 ;  Portland,  March  14,  1893.  Latest  record.  New 
Haven,  May  23,  1882,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  21,  1900. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  16,  1904; 
Portland,  Sept.  21,  1892,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
Nov.  n,  1903,  Nov.  26,  1905  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Nov.  28, 
1885. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  27,  1883,  New  Haven,  one  taken  (W. 
Kent)  ;  March  7,  1888,  New  Haven,  one  taken  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Jan. 
3,  1903,  Bethel,  one  taken  (R.  C.  Judd)  ;  Feb.  12,  1906,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.) ;  Jan.  n,  1910,  New  Haven  (C.  H.  Pangburn,  in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  26,  1911,  East  Haven  (A.  W.  H.,  D.  B.  P. 
and  L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.     In  a  tussock  of  marsh  grass  in  a  fresh-water  swamp. 

Eggs.    4-5 ;  the  first  part  of  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  18,  1890,  four  eggs 
(H.  C.  Judd).  Latest  record.  June  22,  1907,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.). 

Partial  albinos.  Young  female  taken  at  New  Haven,  Oct. 
13,  1903,  has  greater  wing  coverts  white  and  much  white  in  rest 
of  plumage  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  another  female  taken  at  Litchfield,  Oct. 
12,  1903,  has  back  pure  white  and  throat  and  breast  chiefly  white 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Passerella  iliaca  iliaca  (Merrem).     Fox  Sparrow. 
•  A  common  spring  migrant  in  March  and  early  April,  and  a 
common  fall  migrant  the  last  of  October  and  November;  win- 
tering rarely. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  6, 
1894,  Feb.  25,  1906  (E.  S.  W.) ;  Portland,  March  2,  1883. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  18,  1885,  April  25,  1907  (A. 
A.  S.  and  Pangburn)  ;  Portland,  April  26,  1875. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  2,  1907, 
Sept.  16,  1895  (H.  W.  F.);  Portland,  Oct.  17,  1890,  1893. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  30,  1901 ;  Portland,  Nov.  27, 
1874. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  5-6,  1882,  Dec.  18,  1903,  Jan.  9,  1905, 
Guilford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  29,  1883,  Bridgeport  (C.  K.  Averill)  ;* 

1  O.  and  O,,  ix,  2,  p.  72. 


134  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Dec.  5,  1906,  Dec.  24,  1907,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Dec.  25, 
1909,  New  Haven  (C.  H.  P.  and  A.  W.  H.)  ;  Dec.  26,  1911,  East 
Haven  (A.  W.  H.,  D.  B.  P.  and  L.  B.  B.).  Bridgeport,  rare, 
but  occurs  in  winter  (Eames). 

This  species  suffered  severely  in  the  winter  of  1895,  and  not 
until  about  1901  did  it  regain  its  former  numbers.  For  example, 
J.  N.  C.  wrote  in  March,  1902,  that  they  were  common  at  Say- 
brook  for  the  first  time  in  five  years. 

They  often  sing  as  they  pass  through  the  state,  a  large  flock 
in  full  song  having  been  noticed  by  L.  B.  B.  on  such  winter  dates 
as  Nov.  ii  (1903),  Nov.  2  (1904),  March  15  (1894). 

Pipilo  erythrophthalmus  erythrophthalmus  (Linnaeus). 
Towhee. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  the  latter  part  of  April  until 
the  middle  of  October.  A  rare  winter  resident. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  24,  1885,  April  14,  1904 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  21,  1909. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  3,  1883;  Portland,  Nov. 
ii,  1903. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  22,  1876,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  ii, 
1882,  Woodbridge  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  29,  1884,  Guilford  (L.  B. 
B.)  ;  Jan.  16,  1899,  Guilford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  26,  1904,  Stratford 
(J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  Jan.  16,  1905,  East  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Dec.  23, 
1900,  New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.). 

Nest.  Located  on  the  ground  in  brush,  under  a  bush,  or  at 
the  foot  of  a  tree ;  occasionally  a  foot  or  two  from  the  ground  in 
a  small  tree. 

Eggs.    3-5 ;  May  25-30. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  16,  1894,  four  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  July  21,  1895,  three  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Probably  eggs  are  laid  at  an  even  later  date,  as  two  males 
that  were  evidently  breeding  were  taken  by  L.  B.  B.,  July  26, 
1904.  Others  were  heard  singing,  July  27,  1903,  and  Aug.  9, 
1904;  and  a  female  still  in  Juvenal  plumage  was  collected,  Sept. 
8,  1903. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  1 35 

Cardinalis  cardinalis  cardinalis  (Linnaeus).    Cardinal. 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam1  records  that  a  specimen  was 
found  in  1874  in  New  Haven  by  Mr.  Thomas  Bostwick  and  was 
identified  as  a  wild  bird  by  Grinnell;  May,  1885,  Trumbull,  a  pair 
seen  (Beers)  ;  a  male  in  the  collection  of  M.  B.  Tobey  of  Canaan 
may  have  been  taken  here,  but  is  open  to  great  doubt,  since  the 
collection  contains  a  number  of  birds  from  the  South  and  the 
West,  and  is  not  labelled;  late  in  May,  about  1900,  Winchester, 
a  male  with  full  crest  seen  (Williams).2 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana  (Linnaeus).  Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beak. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  July. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  5,  1897,  1906,  April  30, 
1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  I,  1890,  1891,  1896,  1906,  1907. 
Average  of  32  years'  records,  May  7  (J.  H.  S.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  24,  1906,  Sept.  28,  1892 
(H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  28,  1892. 

Winter  records.  Nov.  25,  1874,  New  Haven  (Merriam)  ;3 
Nov.  15,  1904,  Bridgeport,  an  adult  male  found  dead,  apparently 
killed  by  a  recent  storm  (Beers).  This  was  a  peculiarly  interest- 
ing specimen,  in  that  the  recently  assumed  winter  plumage  dif- 
fered from  that  of  the  spring  only  in  having  a  few  brown  tips  to 
the  feathers  of  head,  back,  throat,  breast,  and  flanks,  these  tips 
hiding  the  black  only  on  the  back,  and  in  having  a  conspicuous 
white  malar  stripe. 

Nest.  In  the  top  of  a  slender  tree,  or  bush,  e.  g.,  elder,  willow, 
elm,  in  a  thicket  in  swampy  woods;  5-15  feet  from  the  gr6und, 
occasionally  higher. 

Eggs-  3-5 ;  early  in  June- 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  19,  1891,  four  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  June  18,  1888,  three  eggs  (E. 
H.  E.)  ;  June i 8,  1900,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Males  hatched  the  previous  year  have  occasionally  in  the 
spring  many  of  the  feathers  of  the  throat  and  upper  parts  tipped 
with  brown,  and  the  rose-red  of  the  breast  prolonged  almost  to 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  44. 
ajob,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  305. 
3 Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  43. 


136  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

the  bill.    One  in  the  collection  of  Porter  has  many  of  the  feathers 
of  the  head  and  upper  parts  edged  with  rose-red. 

In  1849,  by  request  of  the  late  Dr.  Jno.  C.  Comstock,  many 
of  whose  notes  are  published  in  this  report,  the  name  of  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  was  added  to  the  list  of  song  birds  protected 
by  the  first  act  of  the  Connecticut  legislature,  and  probably  the 
first  legislation  in  New  England,  for  such  a  purpose.  At  that 
time  the  bird  was  scarcely  known,  but  now  it  appears  to  be  in- 
creasing in  numbers  throughout  the  state  (J.  H.  S\). 

Passerina  cyanea  (Linnaeus).     Indigo  Bunting. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  8,  1897,  1908,  May  3, 
1888  (Webb)  ;  Portland,  May  6,  1887,  1894;  Litchfield,  May  3, 
1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Latest  record.    New  Haven,  Oct.  2,  1895 ;  Portland,  Oct.  16, 

1893. 

Nest.  In  a  shrub  or  bush,  rarely  in  the  woods ;  2-3  feet  from 
the  ground. 

Eggs-    3-5  J  early  in  June- 
Nesting  dates.     Earliest  record,   May  30,   1900,  three  eggs 

(J.  C.  A.  M.).     Latest  record.     Aug.  18,  1906,  eggs,  hatched 

Aug.  29  (A.  A.  S.). 

Spotted  eggs.    Rare.    Set  of  four,  June  5,  1890,  New  Haven 

(Hedges,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  one,  June  6,  1883,  New  Haven 

(Bobbins  and  L.  B.  B.). 

A  female  with  the  crown,  rump,  and  upper  tail  feathers  blue, 

and  many  blue  feathers  in  other  parts  of  the  plumage,  especially 

on  the  throat  and  breast,  and  the  abdomen  white,  was  collected 

by  H.  W.  F.  near  New  Haven,  May  26,  1892. 

Heard  singing  as  late  as  July  27  (1903)  and  July  22  (1904) 

(L.  B.  B.). 

Spiza  americana  (Gmelin).     Dickcissel. 

Formerly  an  abundant  summer  resident,  but  none  have  been 
taken  in  Connecticut  in  many  years. 

Up  to  1840  this  species  was  very  abundant  near  New  Haven ; 
in  fact  it  was  almost  as  common  as  the  English  Sparrow  is  to-day, 
according  to  Professor  Silliman  of  Yale,  who  thus  reported  it  to 
Professor  Verrill.  A  male  and  female  of  this  species  are  in  the 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  137 

Peabody  Museum,  these  specimens  having  come  from  the  Yale 
Natural  History  Society,  in  a  collection  of  mounted  birds,  some 
of  which  were  collected  by  Linsley  at  Stratford,  and  the  others 
probably  near  New  Haven. 

Hoyt  records  a  specimen  being  seen  near  Stamford  in  the 
summer  of  1904  by  Miss  Fessenden;  but  the  possibility  of  mis- 
taking a  male  English  Sparrow  for  the  Dickcissel  has  been  more 
than  once  proved  by  experienced  ornithologists. 

Family  TANGARID^E.     Tanagers. 

Piranga  ludoviciana  (Wilson).    Western  Tanager. 

A  young  male  of  this  species  was  collected  by  H.  W.  Flint 
on  Fair  Haven  Heights,  in  New  Haven,  Dec.  15,  1892.  "  It  is 
not  an  escaped  bird,  as  the  feet  and  plumage  clearly  indicate."1 

Piranga  erythromelas  Vieillot.     Scarlet  Tanager. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  i,  1907;  Portland,  May 
3,  1908. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  10,  1901 ;  Portland,  Oct. 
9,  1891. 

Nest.  In  a  tree  in  orchard  or  woodland,  5-20  feet  from  the 
ground. 

Eggs-    3-5  J  earlX  in  June- 
Nesting  dates.     Earliest  record.     May  28,   1898,  four  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).     Latest  record.    Aug.  10,  1909,  three  eggs  (M.  T. 
Smith). 

Unusual  eggs.  Occasionally  the  eggs  are  very  faintly  and 
finely  spotted,  altogether  lacking  the  usual  bold  markings;  e.  g., 
June  5,  1888,  New  Haven,  set  of  four  (Parsons)  ;  May  28,  1898, 
set  of  four  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  2,  1903,  Chester,  one  (Canfield) ; 
May  29,  1898,  near  New  London,  set  of  five  (J.  H.  H.). 

Variations  in  plumage  of  the  males  in  the  spring  are  many 
and  interesting;  e.  g.,  one  with  the  prevailing  color  of  the 
plumage  except  the  wings  and  tail  coral-red,  taken  by  A.  H.  V. 
and  L.  B.  B.,  May  17,  1894;  another  with  the  prevailing  color 
rufous,  taken  by  L.  B.  B.,  July  9,  1904;  others  show  patches  of 
cadmium-yellow,  or  have  occasionally  the  lesser  coverts  and 


[Auk,  x,  i,  p.  86;  also  O.  and  O.,  xvii,  12,  p.  187. 


138  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

bases  of  the  greater  coverts  chrome-yellow  or  vermilion,  or  even 
more  rarely  the  greater  coverts  tipped  with  vermilion. 
Adult  males  occasionally  complete  the  fall  moult  before  leaving 
for  the  south,  specimens  in  full  winter  dress  having  been  col- 
lected by  L.  B.  B.  the  last  of  September. 

Piranga  rubra  rubra  (Linnaeus).     Summer  Tanager. 

Very  rare  summer  visitant. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  recorded  it  from  Stratford  and 
New  Haven.  Merriam1  noted  that  Shores  killed  one  at  Suffield, 
July  21,  1876;  May  23,  1882,  Whitneyville,  female  collected  (L. 
C.  S.  in  company  with  L.  B.  B.)  ;  April  8,  1886,  New  Haven, 
male  taken  (Hooker,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  April  28,  1893,  Port- 
land, a  male  which  had  died  of  exposure  taken  (Hurlburt,  speci- 
men examined  by  J.  H.  S.)  ;2  April  27,  1895,  Old  Saybrook,  male 
taken  (J.  N.  C.).3 

Family  HIRUNDINID^.     Swallows. 

Progne  subis  subis  (Linnseus).     Purple  Martin. 

Formerly  an  abundant  summer  resident  from  May  until  July; 
now  rapidly  decreasing  throughout  the  state. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  20,  1889;  Portland,  April 
4,  1903. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  2,  1885 ;  Portland,  Sept. 
19,  1892. 

Nest.  Breeds  in  small  colonies  in  martin-houses,  though  it 
has  also  been  noted  nesting  in  a  hollow  fence  rail.4 

Eggs.     4-6;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  21,  1880,  four  eggs.4 
Latest  record.  June  19,  1898,  six  eggs  (Hill). 

Formerly  Purple  Martins  bred  commonly  around  New  Haven 
and  even  in  the  center  of  the  city;  but  their  numbers  decreased 
in  the  eighties  with  the  multiplication  of  the  English  Sparrows, 
so  that  they  are  now  seldom  seen  there  except  as  a  rare  migrant. 
In  fact  the  last  record  in  the  breeding  season  for  New  Haven 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  27. 
a  Auk,  x,  3,  p.  303. 
8  Auk,  xii,  3,  p.  306. 
4  O.  and  O.,  v,  6,  p.  47. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  139 

by  L.  B.  B.  is  June  17,  1893,  and  he  has  seen  none  at  any  season 
there  since  1905. 

In  Guilford  Martins  were  abundant  much  later,  but  their  num- 
bers have  markedly  decreased,  and  now  most  of  the  martin-boxes 
are  untenanted  except  by  English  Sparrows.  Only  one  small 
colony  there  and  another  in  Madison  were  found  by  L.  B.  B.  in 
the  summer  of  1904.  Hoyt  reports  that  there  was  in  1905  at 
least  one  colony  still  breeding  in  Stamford.  Colonies  in  Middle- 
town  and  Portland  were  breeding  in  1912.  These  birds  should 
be  encouraged  by  erecting  boxes  for  them,  care  being  taken  to 
protect  them  from  the  English  Sparrow,  their  worst  enemy. 

Petrochelidon  lunifrons  lunifrons  (Say).     Cliff  Swallow. 

A  locally  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  August; 
over  most  of  the  state  only  a  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall 
migrant ;  decreasing,  but  not  as  rapidly  as  the  Purple  Martin. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  3,  1882,  April  15,  1877 
(Osborne),1  April  21,  1906  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  May  19,  1905; 
Litchfield,  April  30,  1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  18,  1895,  Sept.  30,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  14,  1877. 

Nest.  Breeds  in  colonies  under  the  eaves  of  barns  and  out- 
buildings. 

Eggs.     3-5  ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  30,  1898,  five  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  June  13,  1882,  four  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  eggs.  In  a  set  of  five  eggs  collected  in  Meriden, 
May  31,  1885  (L.  B.  B.),  one  egg  is  pure  white  with  a  few 
purplish  brown  specks  at  the  larger  end,  another  pale  cream-buff, 
heavily  blotched  with  dull  heliotrope-purple  and  mummy-brown  at 
the  base,  while  the  other  three  are  normal. 

Albino.     Aug.  22,  1902,  Gaylordsville,  one  seen  (Austin). 

Hirundo  erythrogastra  Boddaert.     Barn  Swallow. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  from  May  until  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  13,  1887,  April  7,  1888 
(Webb)  ;  Portland,  April  6,  1889. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  21,  1903,  Oct.  29,  1888 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  19,  1891. 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  30. 


140  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Nest.  On  a  beam  or  against  a  rafter  in  a  barn  or  shed,  or 
more  rarely  under  the  eaves. 

Eggs.     4-7;  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  15,  1894,  one  egg  (L. 
B.  B.).  Latest  record.  Sept.  3,  1892,  five  eggs  slightly  incubated 
(Dickerman  of  Danbury).1 

A  set  of  seven  eggs  was  collected  by  L.  B.  B.  in  New  Haven, 
May  24,  1893. 

Iridoprocne  bicolor    (Vieillot).     Tree  Swallow. 

An  abundant  spring,  summer,  and  fall  migrant  in  April  and 
May,  and  from  July  to  October;  a  rare  summer  resident,  but 
more  common  in  Litchfield  county;  still  rarer  winter  resident. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  25, 
1893;  Portland,  March  27,  1899.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  27,  1902;  Portland,  May  17,  1901. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  July  8,  1904; 
Portland,  July  14,  1886.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  21, 
1900;  Portland,  Nov.  I,  1910. 

Winter  records.  Winter,  1901-2,  several  spent  the  winter  at 
Saybrook  (J.  N.  C),  where  about  a  dozen  were  seen  Jan.  31, 
and  20  or  30  more  by  L.  B.  B.,  March  18,  besides  a  probable 
straggler  from  that  flock  in  Guilford,  March  24.  The  stomachs 
of  three  collected  were  full  of  bayberries  upon  which  they  had 
lived  during  the  winter. 

Nest.  Usually  in  a  hollow  tree  in  an  old  woodpecker's  nest, 
10-15  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     4-6;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  24,  1884,  f°ur  eggs  (J» 
H.  S.).  Latest  record.  June  20,  1898,  five  eggs  (Hill). 

In  the  spring  there  appear  to  be  two  flights,  one  chiefly  of 
adult  males  early  in  April,  the  other  largely  of  females  about  the 
middle  of  May.  This  swallow  is  the  earliest  migrant  to  return 
from  the  north,  as  many  as  500  having  been  seen  near  New  Haven 
as  early  as  July  14  (1904)  by  L.  B.  B.,  and  the  last  swallow  to 
stay  with  us  in  the  fall,  several  hundred  having  been  seen  by  him 
on  Oct.  6,  1903,  and  about  a  thousand  on  Oct.  24,  1898,  and 
Oct.  13,  1905,  which  had  been  spending  the  nights  in  the  rushes 
on  the  Quinnipiac  marshes. 

1  O.  and  O.,  xvii,  n,  p.   172. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  14! 

Riparia  riparia  (Linnaeus).     Bank  Swallow. 

A  summer  resident  from  May  until  August,  abundant  locally 
where  suitable  banks  occur  along  the  larger  rivers,  but  absent 
through  much  of  the  state  except  as  a  migrant. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  25,  1888;  Portland, 
April  17,  1882. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  n,  1902,  Sept.  23,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.) ;  Portland,  Sept.  25,  1891. 

Nest.  In  a  narrow  burrow  several  feet  deep,  excavated  by 
the  birds  in  a  sand  bank,  usually  on  the  bank  of  a  river ;  generally 
composed  largely  of  feathers. 

Eggs.     2-6;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  17,  1872,  one  egg,  May 
21,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  22,  1904,  six  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 
Latest  record.  June  14,  1893,  three  eggs  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Unusual  set.  June  17,  1905,  Litchfield,  two  incubated  eggs 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Stclgidopteryx  serripennis  (Audubon).  Rough-winged 
Swallow. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  of  the  southern  border 
of  the  state  from  May  until  August;  much  rarer  in  the  interior. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  i,  1897,  April  30,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.). 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  Aug.  13,  1903. 

Unusual  record.  March  3,  1888,  Stamford  (Hoyt,  in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.  Located  in  a  burrow  in  a  sand  bank,  usually  excavated 
by  the  birds  themselves,  wide  enough  to  admit  a  man's  arm,  and 
somewhat  broader  than  high,  and  from  3  to  5  feet  long.  Nest 
large  and  bulky  and  usually  composed  of  sticks,  weed  stalks,  grass, 
and  leaves.  Nests  have  also  been  found  in  empty  pipes  (A.  A. 
S.  and  Case),1  in  an  old  Kingfisher's  nest  (E.  S.  W.  and  J.  C. 
A.  M.),  in  a  crevice  of  the  arch  of  a  stone  bridge  (Porter,  May 
26,  1894),  and  in  the  drain-pipe  of  a  bridge  (Jiteers,  May  30, 
1904). 

Eggs.     5-7;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  22,  1904,  seven  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  June  24,  1900,  five  eggs  (Hill). 

1  Oblogist,  xxii,  7,  p.   108. 


142  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

The  bank  selected  for  the  nest  is  usually  a, small  one,  often  in 
the  woods  or  at  the  roadside,  seldpm  near  the  water.  Usually  only 
one  pair,  and  very  rarely  more  than  two,  are  found  breeding  at 
one  place,  but  a  colony  of  at  least  ten  birds  was  found  in  New 
Haven,  June  24,  1907  (A.  A.  S.).  As  a  rule  these  swallows  nest 
alone,  though  one  pair  was  found  breeding  in  a  colony  of  Bank 
Swallows  (J.  C.  A.  M.,  1904). 

This  Swallow  has  been  seen  in  New  Milford  (E.  H.  Austin) 
and  in  Kent  (H.  K.  J.).1  A  female,  and  three  young  just  be- 
ginning to  fly,  seen  at  Portland,  July  13,  1888,  by  J.  H.  S. 

Family  BOMBYCILLID^.     Waxwings. 

Bombycilla  garrula   (Linnaeus).     Bohemian  Waxwing. 

Connecticut  records.  Feb.  11,  1875,  New  Haven,  one  seen  (  ?) 
(Smith)  f  Merriam  further  records2  that  Dr.  Wood  of  East 
Windsor  Hill  shot  one  by  accident  while  shooting  into  a  flock  of 
Cedar  Birds  (specimen  now  in  Atheneum  collection,  Hartford)  ; 
fall,  1899,  Torrington,  one  shot  from  a  flock  of  Cedar  Birds  (in 
possession  of  Hochstein).1 

Bombycilla  cedrorum  Vieillot.     Cedar  Waxwing. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  and  irregular  winter 
resident,  often  abundant  in  the  migrations  from  March  to  May, 
and  from  September  to  November. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  2,  1904;  Portland, 
March  7,  1878. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  22,  1900;  Portland,  Oct. 
9,  1892. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven,  Dec.,  1881,  Jan.,  Feb.,  Dec., 
1882,  Jan.,  1900,  1902;  Portland,  Jan.,  1884,  Dec.,  1885,  Jan., 
1886,  Feb.,  1887,  1893,  1895. 

Nest.  Most  frequently  in  an  apple  or  cedar  growing  in  open 
country  at  from  10  to  15  feet  from  the  ground;  made  of  dead 
twigs,  which  the  bird  has  once  been  seen  to  break  off  from  the 
lower  limbs  of  a  tree. 

Eggs.     4-5  ;  late  in  June. 


1  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  305. 

2  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  32. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  143 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  n,  1881,  one  egg  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  June  15,  1884,  five  eggs  (Eames).  Latest  record.  Aug. 
23,  1874,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.).  Thirteen  nests  of  this  bird  were 
found  in  one  thicket  of  young  maples  at  West  Haven  in  August 
and  September,  1906,  and  four  other  nests  were  discovered  there 
after  the  leaves  had  fallen  (A.  A.  S.). 

A  few  of  the  rectrices  are  occasionally  tipped  with  red  in 
both  sexes,  and  more  rarely  in  the  male  many  of  the  primaries; 
while  the  red  tips  of  the  secondaries  are  not  unusual  in  Juvenal 
plumage. 

Family  LANIIDJE.     Shrikes. 

Lanius  borealis  Vieillot.     Northern   Shrike. 

A  winter  resident  from  November  to  March ;  probably  occur- 
ring regularly,  but  seldom  in  large  numbers,  and  not  nearly  as 
common  at  present  as  twenty  years  ago. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  6,  1901 ;  Portland,  Oct. 
26,  1888. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  March  31,  1906,  April  17,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.  and  Pangburn),  April  18,  1885  (F.  W.  Wentworth)  ; 
Portland,  April  4,  1873. 

In  March,  before  going  north,  the  males  occasionally  mount 
to  the  top  of  some  tree  standing  in  rather  open  country,  and 
warble  in  a  harsh  voice  a  song  somewhat  like  that  of  a  Bluebird. 
This  singing  has  been  watched  by  L.  B.  B.  on  March  28,  1883, 
and  March  15,  1894,  some  of  the  notes  on  the  latter  occasion 
resembling  those  of  the  Chickadee. 

Lanius  ludovicianus  migrans  W.  Palmer.     Migrant  Shrike. 

A  rare  and  irregular  fall  migrant  and  winter  resident  from 
August  until  February,  occurring  chiefly  near  the  salt  marshes 
along  the  coast. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  18,  1903 ;  Portland,  Sept. 
20,  1899. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Feb.  15,  1902;  Portland,  April 
n,  1900. 

Breeding  record.  Latter  part  of  May,  about  1893,  Winchester, 
nest  with  five  eggs  found  in  an  apple  orchard  (Williams,  recorded 
by  H.  K.  J.).1 

1  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  306. 


144  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Connecticut  records.  Nov.,  1876,  Portland,  one  taken  (Goff, 
in  coll.  of  W.  W.  C.)  ;  Aug.  22-4,  1882,  Guilford,  seen  (L.  B. 
B.)  ;  Jan.  30,  1883,  Branford,  male  taken  (Nichols,  in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.)  ;  late  Aug.,  1880,  one  seen,  and  late  Aug.,  1885,  two 
seen  together,  one  shot,  Bridgeport  (Averill)  ;x  July,  1886,  New 
Haven,  male  taken  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Aug.  15,  1888,  North  Haven, 
male  taken  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  Porter)  ;  Aug.  29,  1888,  Bridge- 
port, young  female  (Averill,  in  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.)  ;  Aug.,  1892, 
New  Haven  (L.  C.  S.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  18,  1895, 
North  Haven,  young  female  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  20,  Dec.  7,  1899, 
Portland,  male  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  April  n,  1900,  Portland, 
female  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  25,  1901,  Stamford,  male 
(Hoyt)  ;  Sept.  18,  1901,  Saybrook,  one  seen  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  Jan.  15, 
1902,  Portland,  female  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Jan.  20,  1902,  North  Haven, 
adult  male  (Ludington,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.  15,  1902,  New 
Haven,  female  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  2,  1902,  Hamden,  female  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  Aug.  18,  1903,  Branford,  seen  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  6,  1903, 
North  Haven,  seen  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Nov.  6,  1903,  Orange,  female 
(Sherman,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  16,  1904,  Stratford,  young 
male  (Beers  and  Perry)  ;  Oct.  25,  1904,  Middletown,  female  (in 
coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Feb.  17,  1905,  South  Norwalk  (Smith,  recorded 
by  J.  A.  Allen).2 

Family  VIREONIDJE.     Vireos. 

Vireosylva  olivacea  (Linnaeus).     Red-eyed  Vireo. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  woodland  from  the  mid- 
dle of  May  until  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4,  1882,  May  2,  1906  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  26,  1896. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  10,  1901,  Oct.  12,  1906  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  8,  1890;  Hartford,  Oct.  25,  lo/DO.3 

Nest.  Usually  in  a  small  tree  or  bush  in  dark  woodland,  3 
to  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     3  or  4 ;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  25,  1906,  one  egg, 
May  28,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  28,  1889,  four  eggs  (C.  F. 


1  Auk,  vi.    i,  p.   74. 

9  Auk,  xxii,  a,  p.  211. 

1  Bird-Lore,    xi,    2,    p.   81. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  145 

Hedges).  Latest  record.  Aug.  4,  1882,  two  eggs  and  two  Cow- 
birds'  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

This  species  is  especially  persecuted  by  the  Cowbird;  and,  of 
19  nests  with  3  or  more  eggs  recorded  by  L.  B.  B.,  n  contained 
eggs  of  this  parasite. 

It  sings  constantly  its  monotonous  ditty  through  the  summer 
months,  and  has  been  heard  repeating  it  by  L.  B.  B.  as  late  as 
Sept.  8  (1902)  and  Sept.  14  (1903). 

Vireosylva  philadelphica  Cassin.     Philadelphia  Vireo. 

A  very  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant. 

Spring  records.  May  19,  1888,  near  New  Haven,  male  taken 
(A.  H.  V.)  j1  May  18,  1900,  Westville,  male  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
May  17,  1905,  Litchfield,  female  taken  (E.  S.  W.). 

Fall  records.  Sept.  21,  1893,  Gildersleeve  Island,  Portland, 
male  taken  (S.  R.,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  17,  1894,  same 
locality,  female  taken  (S.  R.,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Oct.  4,  1899, 
Litchfield,  female  taken  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Sept.  14,  1905,  East  Haven, 
male  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Sept.  21,  1905,  New  Haven,  female  taken 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Vireosylva  gilva  gilva  (Vieillot).     Warbling  Vireo. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  the  shade  trees  of  the  villages 
and  cities,  from  May  until  September;  but  rare  elsewhere  in  the 
state. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1899;  Portland,  April 
26,  1908;  Jewett  City,  April  20,  i898.2 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  14,  1903,  Sept.  19,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.);  Portland,  Sept.  17,  1895;  Litchfield,  Oct.  i,  1890 
(L.  B.  W.). 

Nest.    High  in  an  elm  or  maple ;  occasionally  in  an  apple  tree. 

Eggs.     Usually  4;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  26,  1895,  four  eggs 
(H.  R.  Buck).  Latest  record.  June  14,  1876,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.). 

This  bird  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Sept.  12  (1885) 
and  Sept.  14  (1903)  (L.  B.  B.). 


1  O.   and   O.,   xiii,  7,  p.   103. 
8  Bird-Lore,  xi,  2,  p.  79. 

10 


146  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Lanivireo  flavifrons   (Vieillot).     Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  of  the  orchards,  shade 
trees,  and  more  open  woodland,  from  May  until  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  27,  1886;  Portland,  April 
26,  1889. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  20,  1900,  Oct.  12,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  21,  1893. 

Nest.    In  tall  tree,  12  to  35  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     Usually  4;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  6,  1900,  three  eggs  and 
one  Cowbird's  egg  (L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  17,  1893,  four 
eggs  (H.  W.  F.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  July  10,  1894,  one  young  and 
one  spoiled  egg  (L.  B.  B.). 

J.  H.  S.  notes  that  this  species  and  Vireosylva  gilva  gilva 
usually  migrate  together. 

Lanivireo  solitarius  solitarius  (Wilson).  Blue-headed 
Vireo ;  Solitary  Vireo. 

A  common  fall  and  much  rarer  spring  migrant  in  early  May 
and  October;  very  rare  summer  resident. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  3, 
1909,  April  20,  1892  (Hedges)  ;  Portland,  April  18,  1908,  Litch- 
field,  April  25,  1905  (E.  S.  W.).  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  8,  1907,  May  12,  1891  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  May  9,  1882; 
Litchfield,  May  26,  1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  22,  1896 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  28,  1899;  Litchfield,  Sept.  18,  1891  (L.  B.  W.). 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  18,  1888,  Oct.  23,  1906  (A.  A. 
S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  19,  1892. 

Nest.  In  young  tree  or  bush,  from  5  to  10  feet  from  the 
ground. 

Eggs.     Usually  4;  late  in  May  and  early  in  June. 

Nesting  records.  Eastford,  May  31,  1880,  four  young;  June 
6,  1885,  two  eggs  and  one  Cowbird's  egg;  May  14,  1886,  build- 
ing, May  27,  four  eggs;  May  27,  28,  1886,  nests;  June  10,  1886, 
nest,  birds  hatched  and  flown  away  (C.  M.  Jones).1  Nor- 
folk, June  23,  1893,  four  fresh  eggs  (W.  E.  T.,  in  coll.  of  J.  H. 


1  O.  and  O.,  xii,  2,  p.  26. 


No.  2O.  ]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  147 

S.).  Bethel,  June  9,  1895,  nest  with  four  eggs  (Hamlin). 
Millington,  May  30,  1899,  nest  with  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.).  West 
Simsbury,  June  8,  1894,  nest  with  four  eggs  (Case).1  Litchfield, 
late  in  June,  1907,  male  in  full  song  (H.  K.  J.  and  E.  S.  W.)  f 
shot,  July  I,  1907  (E.  S.  W.) 

Vireo  griseus  griseus    (Boddaert).     White-eyed  Vireo. 

A  common  summer  resident  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state 
from  May  until  August;  rarely  breeds  in  Litchfield  County. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  30,  1885 ;  Portland,  May 
4,  1892. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  14,  1886;  Sept.  20,  1906, 
1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  15,  1877. 

Sept.  29,  1890,  Ma£  25,  1897,  May  17,  1905,  and  July  12, 
1906,  are  the  only  records  from  Litchfield  (L.  B.  W.  and  E.  S. 
W.)  ;  Lake  Waramaug,  June  10,  1900,  one  seen  (L.  B.  B.). 

Nest.  Usually  in  a  dense  bush  or  thicket,  from  i^  to  2^/2 
feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     Commonly  4;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  26,  1887,  four  eggs 
(H.  W.  R).  Latest  record.  June  21,  1888,  four  eggs  (H.  W. 
F.)  ;  July  2,  1907,  half-grown  young  (A.  A.  S.). 

A  set  of  unspotted  eggs  has  been  found  near  Bridgeport  by 
J.  C.  A.  M.,  and  a  single  similar  egg  in  a  nest  containing  young 
at  New  Haven  by  L.  B.  B. 

This  bird  has  been  heard  singing  its  ludicrous  song  as  late 
as  Aug.  15  (1904)  by  L.  B.  B. 

Family  MNIOTILTID^.     Wood  Warblers. 

Mniotilta  varia  (Linnaeus).     Black  and  White  Warbler. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  early  May  until  September; 
most  abundant  during  the  migrations  in  May  and  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  26,  1900,  1906,  1909, 
April  20,  1907  (Kedzie)  ;  Portland,  April  23,  1909. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  4,  1901,  Oct.  7,  1907  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  6,  1892. 


1  Auk,  xiii,  4,  p.   343. 

»  Job,   The   Sport  of  Bird   Study,  p.   306. 


148  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Nest.  On  the  ground  in  woods  with  considerable  under- 
growth, though  occasionally  in  the  grass  of  an  open  field. 

Eggs.    4-5;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  20,  1895,  five  eggs 
(H.  W.  F.).  Latest  record.  June  13,  1896,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
June  16,  1884,  four  young  and  one  Cowbird  (Prior).1 

This  warbler  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  July  22  (1904) 
by  L.  B.  B. 

Protonotaria  citrea  (Boddaert).     Prothonotary  Warbler. 

The  only  records  of  this  warbler  for  the  state  are,  New 
Haven,  Nov.  27,  1911,  a  young  female  found  dead  (W.  F. 
Smith),2  and  Glastonbury,  May  14,  1910,  one  seen  plainly 
(L.  W.  Ripley). 

Helmitheros  vermivorus  (Gmelin).  Worm-eating  Warbler. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  along  the  coast;  occur- 
ring rarely  in  the  interior  as  far  north  as  Kent  and  Portland; 
from  the  middle  of  May  until  early  in  August. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  6,  1904,  May  3,  1892  (H. 
W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  May  6,  1896. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  22,  1903;  Portland,  June 
18,  1896;  Seymour,  Sept.  30,  1888  (Eames). 

Nest.  On  the  ground  among  dead  leaves  under  some  small 
plant  on  a  hillside  in  the  woods. 

Eggs.     3-6;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  20,  1891,  five  eggs 
(Watrous).  Latest  record.  June  19,  1890,  five  eggs  (H.  W.  F.). 

Occurrence.  This  species  was  reported  as  "  rare "  by  Mer- 
riam*  in  New  Haven,  but  since  then  (1877)  has  become  tolerably 
common  east  of  the  city,  though  still  rare  to  the  west.  It  has 
been  taken  also  at  East  Haven  (H.  W.  F.),  Pine  Orchard  (L. 
B.  B.),  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C),  New  London  (Hill),  Stamford 
(Porter),  Bridgeport  (Eames)  ;  inland,  at  Portland  (J.  H.  S.), 
Seymour  (Eames),  Bethel  (Judd),  Danbury  (J.  C.  A.  M.),  Kent 
(H.  K.  J.),4  Suffield  (Shores).3 

1  O.  and  O.,  ix,  9,  p.   109. 

8  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  2,  p.   109. 

*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  12. 

4  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.   306. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  149 

Vermivora  pinus   (Linnaeus).     Blue-winged  Warbler. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  southern  Connecticut  from 
early  May  until  August,  outnumbering  any  other  warbler  with 
the  possible  exception  of  the  Oven-bird;  rarer  farther  north, 
though  breeding  at  Portland  and  at  Lake  Waramaug  in  Litch- 
field  County. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1899,  April  30,  1908 
(C.  H.  P.)  ;  Portland,  May  2,  1902. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  16,  1904;  Portland,  Aug. 
27,  1910. 

Nest.  Usually  at  the  base  of  some  small  plant,  often  a  golden- 
rod,  where  woods  and  meadow  join,  but  also  frequently  in  a 
small  glade  in  the  woods  or  smaller  opening  in  brush  land. 

Eggs.     4-6;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  20,  1896,  five  eggs 
(H.  W.  F.).  Latest  record.  June  16,  1899,  four  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Occurrence.  From  Bridgeport  to  New  Haven  the  Blue- 
winged  Warbler  is  a  very  abundant  summer  resident,  Dr.  Fames 
having  seen  at  Bridgeport  fully  sixty  males  in  song  on  May  9, 
1889 ;  but  east  of  Branford  it  becomes  rare,  and  has  been  seldom 
noticed  by  L.  B.  B.  at  Stony  Creek  or  Guilford.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  Connecticut  they  are  again  abundant.  In  the  interior  of 
the  state  they  are  likewise  rather  rare  except  in  the  spring  migra- 
tion, J.  H.  S.  having  noted  its  occurrence  only  once  after  June 
13  (Aug.  27,  1910),  and  having  observed  only  three  nests; 
and  E.  S.  W.  having  noted  it  only  four  times  in  Litchfield.  At 
Danbury  a  male  was  taken  April  27,  1908  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  and 
it  has  been  seen  in  Kent  in  August,  1907  (G.  E.  Hix),  at  Lake 
Waramaug,  June  10,  1900,  and  in  Washington,  May  30,  1907 
(L.  B.  B.). 

This  species  was  found  interbreeding  with  V.  chrysoptera, 
at  Portland,  June  13,  I889,1  and  a  male  said  to  be  mate  of  a 
female  V.  chry >sopter "a  was  taken  with  it  in  Woodbridge,  May 
23,  1898  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Males  showing  an  approach  to  V .  lawrencei  in  having  much 
black  on  lores  and  auriculars  or  one  or  two  black  feathers  on 


1  Auk,  vi,  3,  p.  279. 


150  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

throat  have  been  taken  at  New  Haven  on  May  23,  1902,  June  5, 
1905,  May  24,  1907,  and  May  18,  1908  (L.  B.  B.). 

Vermivora  chrysoptera  (Linnaeus.)  Golden- winged  War- 
bler. 

A  rare  summer  resident  in  most  parts  of  the  state,  very  local 
in  its  distribution;  a  regular  summer  resident  in  small  numbers 
at  Portland. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  n,  1904,  1905,  May  7, 
1895  (H.  W.  K);  Portland,  May  3,  1896;  Litchfield,  May  7, 1905 
(E.  S.  W.).  Average  date  of  arrival  at  Portland  for  thirty-three 
years,  May  14. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  12,  1894,  May  23,  1898 
(A.  H.  V.)  ;  Portland,  June  22,  1894;  Litchfield,  July  12,  1906 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Suffield,  July  7,  1876  (Shores)  ;x  New  Haven,  Aug. 
24,  1912  (L.  B.  B.). 

Occurrence.  Bethel,  breeding  (Stetson,  Judd,  and  Hamlin)  ; 
Stratford  (Eames)  ;  New  Haven  (Hedges,  H.  W.  R,  A.  H.  V., 
E.  S.  W.,  L.  B.  B.) ;  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Danbury,  breeding 
(J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  Kent  (Job)  ;  Portland,  breeding  (J.  H.  S.).  It 
has  not  been  found  at  New  London  by  Hill,  nor  at  East  Hartford 
by  W.  E.  T.,  nor  at  Saybrook  by  J.  N.  C,  though  J.  H.  S.  found 
one  at  Saybrook,  May  30,  1877. 

Nest.    On  the  ground  in  brush  land  near  a  swamp. 

Eggs.     Usually  4  or  5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  29,  1895,  five  eggs 
(Hamlin).  Latest  record.  June  21,  1894,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.). 

A  nest  containing  five  young  with  the  male  parent  of  this 
species  and  the  female  V.  pinus  was  found  at  Bethel,  June  n, 
1905.  June  16,  the  young  had  left  the  nest ;  but  one  was  caught 
which  had  an  olive-green  back  and  yellow  throat,  breast,  and 
lower  parts,  showing  no  black  on  throat  or  through  eye  (J.  C. 
A.  M.  and  R.  C.  Judd). 

Vermivora  rubricapilla  rubricapilla  (Wilson).  Nashville 
Warbler. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and  September; 
breeds  in  small  numbers  throughout  the  state,  but  more  frequently 
in  the  northern  part. 


1  Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  p.    14. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  15 1 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  30, 
1908 ;  Portland,  May  3,  1899.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May 
23,  1898,  May  31,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  30,  1894,  1905. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  14,  1905 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  27,  1893.  Latest  record.  New 'Haven,  Oct.  9, 
1907;  Portland,  Sept.  27,  1893. 

Occurrence.  Deep  River,  two  nests  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  New  Haven, 
three  nests  (H.  W.  F.),  one  nest  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Bridgeport,  one 
nest  (Beers  and  Canfield)  ;  Seymour,  breeds  somewhat  commonly, 
five  or  six  pairs  breeding  regularly  each  year1  ( Fames )  ;  Kent, 
one  nest  (H.  K.  J.).2  Although  common  in  the  spring  at  Litch- 
field  (L.  B.  W.  and  E.  S.  W.)  and  at  Portland  (J.  H.  S.),  no 
nests  have  been  found  at  the  former  place  and  but  one  at  the 
latter  (June  4,  1889,  four  young,  J.  H.  S.). 

Nest.  On  the  ground,  usually  just  within  the  edge  of  the 
woods. 

Eggs.     4-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  30,  1890,  five  eggs 
(H.  W.  F.).  Latest  record.  June  8,  1888,  five  eggs  (E.  H.  E.). 

Vermivora  celata  celata  (Say).     Orange-crowned  Warbler. 

A  rare  straggler  from  the  West  during  the  migrations. 

Connecticut  records.  May  8,  1888,  East  Hartford,  male  shot, 
in  company  with  Nashville  Warblers  (W.  E.  T.)  ;3  Nov.  u, 
1893,  Stamford,  female  (Porter)  ;  Oct.  i,  1906,  New  Haven,  male 
taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  8,  1906,  New  Haven,  young  male  taken 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Oct.  6,  1911,  New  Haven,  one  seen  (L.  B.  B.). 

Vermivora  peregrina  (Wilson).     Tennessee  Warbler. 

A  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and  September. 

Spring  records.  June  8,  1875,  Suffield,  one  shot  (Shores)  ;4 
May  24,  1876  (Osborne),  May  26,  1876  (Bragg),  New  Haven;4 
May,  1876,  Deep  River  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  26,  1888,  Seymour 
(Eames)  ;  May  26,  1888,  New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  24, 
1889,  Bridgeport  (Eames)  ;  May  20,  1891,  New  Haven  (Webb)  ; 
May  20,  1892,  three,  Stamford  (Porter)  ;  May  23,  1892,  East 

1  Auk,  Xj   i,  p.  90.  ••  • 

"Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  307. 

8  Auk,  v,  3,  p.  323. 

*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  14. 


152  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Hartford  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  spring,  1894,  New  Haven  (W.  C.  Mor- 
gan) ;  May  17,  1899,  Portland  (S.  R.)  ;  May  16,  1900,  Portland 
(J.H.S.)  ;  May  19-27,  1905,  Litchfield,  tolerably  common,  several 
being  secured  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  June  3,  1907,  Kent  (H.  K.  J.)  j1  May 
15-17,  1909,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  23,  1910,  Portland 
(J.  H.  S.). 

Fall  records.  Sept.  24,  1887,  New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Sept. 
15,  1892,  1896,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.) ;  Oct.  5,  1905,  Sept.  8, 
Oct.  8,  1906,  Oct.  9,  1907,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Compsothlypis  americana  usneae  Brewster.  Northern 
Parula  Warbler. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and  September, 
breeding  wherever  it  finds  trees  covered  with  Usnea. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  29, 
1882,  April  28,  1888  (L.  B.  W.),  1902  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland, 
May  i,  1882.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  21,  1900,  1902; 
Portland,  May  30,  1904.  • 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  i,  1903, 
Aug.  19,  1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  21,  1893.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  14,  1907;  Portland,  Oct.  18,  1899. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  14,  1877,  Deep  River  (H.  W.  F.)  ; 
Nov.  28,  1901,  New  Haven,  found  dead  after  a  severe  storm  by 
Prof.  Reynolds  (identified  by  L.  C.  S.). 

Nest.  Built  in  and  of  the  Usnea,  generally  growing  on  cedars 
in  the  woods,  also  in  swamp  oaks,  maples,  hornbeams,  etc., 
covered  with  Usnea;  3  to  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     3-8;  usually  3  or  4;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  18,  1894,  two  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  29,  1886,  four  eggs  (C.  L.  R.). 
Of  30  nests  recorded  by  C.  L.  R.2  between  1881  and  1887,  25  were 
found  between  June  i  and  12.  The  number  of  eggs  in  these  30 
nests  was  as  follows:  2  nests  with  2  eggs,  7  nests  with  3  eggs, 
18  nests  with  4  eggs,  I  nest  with  5  eggs  (lyiay  31,  1887),  i  nest 
with  7  eggs  (June  12,  1886),  and  i  nest  with  8  eggs  (June  12, 
1890).* 


i  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  307. 
a  O.  and  O.t  xiii,  i,  pp.  1-5. 
8  O.  and  O.,  xvi,  4,  p.  60. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  153 

These  Usnea-covered  trees  have  decreasd  greatly  near  New 
Haven  in  the  past  twenty  years,  and  with  them  have  gone  the 
Parula  Warblers  as  summer  residents. 

Dendroica  tigrina  (Gmelin).     Cape  May  Warbler. 

A  very  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant. 

Connecticut  records.  Spring,  1876,  Suffield,  not  uncommon 
(Shores)  j1  May  13,  1876,  Portland,  two  adult  males  seen  in  the 
garden,  one  shot  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  23,  1882,  Lake  Whitney,  Ham- 
den,  male  taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  4,  1887,  East  Hartford,  male 
taken  (C.  C.  H.)  ;  Aug.  28,  1889,  Bridgeport,  one  taken  (W.  H. 
Lucas)  ?  Sept.  14,  1890,  East  Hartford,  one  seen  (W.  E.  T.)  ; 
May  13,  1891,  East  Hartford,  male  shot  (W.  E.  T.)  :  May  7, 
1900,  Kent,  male  taken  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  spring,  1900,  Saybrook,  one 
taken  and  another  seen  (J.  N.  C.)  ;  May  8,  1905,  Litchfield,  male 
secured  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  May  10,  1907,  New  Haven,  one  seen  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  May  12,  1909,  Cromwell,  one  picked  up  dead  (in  coll.  of 
J.  H.  S.).  ' 

Dendroica  aestiva  aestiva  (Gmelin).     Yellow  Warbler. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  August,  fre- 
quenting the  alders  and  willows  along  the  streams. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  30,  1888,  1894,  1908, 
April  29,  1902  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  29,  1881,  1902,  1908. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  25,  1900,  Nov.  7,  1907  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  23,  1893. 

Nest.  In  a  bush  or  sapling  in  a  swampy  thicket,  or  less  com- 
monly in  dry  woods.  Of  86  nests  recorded  by  J.  H.  S.,  1905-9, 
the  distribution  was  as  follows:  48  in  elder;  7  in  willow;  6  in 
alder;  2  each  in  ash,  apple,  and  elm;  I  each  in  wild  cherry,  but- 
tonwood,  poplar,  pear,  and  clematis;  and  4  in  small  bushes. 
Height  from  ground  varied  from  3  to  30  feet,  usually  3  to  6 
feet.  Building,  May  12  to  June  15;  average,  May  15-25. 

Eggs.     3-5;  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  22,  1899,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  H.).  Latest  record.  June  30,  1895,  three  eggs  (J.  C. 
A.  M.). 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   17. 
*  O.  and  O.t  xiv,  10,  p.   160. 


154  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Double  nests.  Nests  with  a  double  bottom  built  over  an  in- 
truding Cowbird's  egg,  found  June  30,  1895,  and  May  27,  1900 
(J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  June,  1893  or  1894  (Porter)  ;  June  2,  1898 
(L.  B.  B.). 

Dendroica  caerulescens  casrulescens  (Gmelin).  Black- 
throated  Blue  Warbler. 

A  common  spring  and  autumn  migrant  in  May  and  September ; 
breeds  tolerably  commonly  in  Litchfield  County  at  least  as  far 
south  as  Warren. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  5,  1894, 
April  30,  1908  (C.  H.  Pangburn)  ;  Portland,  May  4,  1896;  Hart- 
ford, April  29,  1891. l  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  28,  1907, 
May  29,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  26,  1894. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  u,  1902, 
1903;  Portland,  Sept.  23,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
Oct.  n,  1906,  Oct.  17,  1888  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  9,  1883. 

Nest.  Just  off  the  ground  in  thicket,  usually  of  Kalmia;  in 
woods. 

Eggs-     3-5 ;  earl7  in  June- 

Breeding  records.  June  8,  13,  1874,  two  nests,  and  June  7, 
1881,  four  eggs,  Eastford  (C.  M.  Jones)  ;2  June  8,  1900,  Kent, 
nest  with  four  eggs,  female  secured  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  7,  1905, 
nest  with  five  eggs,  June  10,  1905,  three  eggs,  Litchfield 
(E.  S.  W.)- 

The  authors  found  this  species  tolerably  common  in  Salisbury 
between  June  16  and  20,  1904,  frequenting  wooded  hillsides,  over- 
grown with  Kalmia. 

Dendroica  coronata  (Linnaeus).     Myrtle  Warbler. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  April,  October,  and 
November;  a  tolerably  regular  winter  resident,  especially  near 
the  coast. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  15, 
1894;  Portland,  March  n,  1882.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  18,  1884,  May  21,  1905  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  22,  1905; 
Litchfield,  May  24,  1905  (E.  S.  W.). 


1  Bird-Lore,  viii,  6,  p.  203. 

aMerriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  15.     O.  and  O.,  ri,  7,  pp.  49-5°- 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  155 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  21,  1903; 
Portland,  Sept.  21,  1892,  1893;  Litchfield,  Sept.  14,  1905  (E.  S. 
W.).  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  25,  1903;  Portland, 
Nov.  i,  1890. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven  or  Guilford,  Jan.  5,  Feb.  8,  22, 
Dec.  12,  28,  1882,  Jan.  i,  1883,  Feb.  17  (?),  1886,  Jan.  2,  1894, 
Jan.  22,  1896,  Jan.  17,  Feb.  n,  1898,  Jan.  16,  1899,  Jan.  24, 
Dec.  12,  1900,  Jan.  15,  1902,  Dec.  18,  1903,  Feb.  27,  1904,  Jan, 
24,  1906  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Portland,  Dec.  15,  1882,  Jan.  22,  1884, 
Dec.  29,  1892,  Feb.  8,  1896,  Feb.  23,  1903  (J.  H.  S.).  Other 
records:  Jan.  i,  1883,  Portland  (C.  H.  N.)  j1  Jan.  29,  1905,  New 
Haven  (Stetson). 

Dendroica  magnolia    (Wilson).     Magnolia  Warbler. 

A  common  spring,  and  somewhat  less  common  fall,  migrant, 
in  May  and  September;  may  breed  in  Litchfield  County. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  7, 
1888,  May  3,  1886  (Webb)  ;  Portland,  May  6,  1896.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  May  26,  1882,  1894,  May  29,  1907  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  29,  1907,  1909;  Litchfield,  June  8,  1891 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Salisbury,  early  in  July,  1906  (?)  (H.  K.  J.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  14,  1903 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  21,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  4, 
1901 ;  Portland,  Sept.  28,  1892. 

Partial  albino.  May  17,  1888,  Seymour,  a  male  with  the 
entire  top  of  the  head,  hind  neck,  and  a  broad  eye  ring  white 
(Eames,  in  coll.  of  Beers). 

Dendroica  cerulea  (Wilson).     Cerulean  Warbler. 

A  straggler  to  the  southern  border  of  the  state;  possibly  a 
very  rare  summer  resident. 

Connecticut  records:  April,  1841,  Stratford  (Linsley)  f  June 
12,  1875,  Suffield,  male  taken  (Shores)  ;3  May  10,  1888,  Seymour, 
a  female  taken  in  a  flock  of  Parulas  (Eames)  ;4  May  12,  1900, 
Bridgeport,  male  taken  (Beers,  the  two  latter  being  in  the  collec- 
tion of  Beers). 

1  O.   and   O.,  viii,   4,   p.   32. 

*  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  pp.  15-16. 

9  Bull.   NuttaU    Ornith.  Club,  ii,  i,  p.  21;  recorded  also  by  Merriam  as  above. 

4  Auk,  v,   4,  pp.   431-2. 


156  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Dendroica  pensylvanica  (Linnaeus).  Chestnut-sided 
Warbler. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  August;  breed- 
ing more  abundantly  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1899;  April  30,  1908 
(C.  H.  P.)  ;  Portland,  April  28,  1908. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  14,  1895,  Sept.  24,  1887 
(H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  5,  1892. 

Nest.  In  a  small  bush,  usually  in  a  brush  lot,  occasionally 
in  the  woods;  1-4  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     2-4;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  23,  1896,  four  eggs 
(H.  W.  B.).  Latest  record.  June  24,  1895,  three  eggs  and  one 
Oowbird's  egg  (Hamlin)  ;  July  22,  1904,  young  just  out  of  the 
nest  (L.  B.  B.). 

This  species  has  been  found  occupying  a  deserted  Red-eyed 
Vireo's  nest,  the  only  part  it  had  constructed  being  the  lining  of 
hair  (Hamlin,  June  22,  1895).  A  nest  containing  four  eggs,  and 
one  of  the  Cowbird  half  buried  in  the  bottom,  was  found,  May 
31,  1899  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Heard  singing  as  late  as  July  10  (1888),  by  Eames. 

A  male  taken  in  Litchfield,  Aug.  17,  1892,  by  E.  S.  W.  has 
a  very  slender  bill,  the  maxilla  being  .5  inch  long,  and  the 
mandible  slightly  shorter  with  a  scoop-shaped  tip. 

Dendroica  castanea  (Wilson).     Bay-breasted  Warbler. 

Usually  a  rare  spring  migrant  and  still  rarer  in  the  fall ;  occa- 
sionally common  for  a  few  days  in  May. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  10, 
1900;  Portland,  May  12,  1905.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  June 
6,  1882 ;  Portland,  May  26,  1882. 

Fall  records.  Sept.  30,  Oct.  17,  1876  (Osborne)  j1  Sept.  25, 
1890,  Sept.  18,  1893,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Sept.  16,  Oct.  5,  1887, 
East  Hartford  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  Sept.  26,  1893,  Stamford  (Porter)  ; 
Sept.  6,  13,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Sept.  27,  1911,  New 
Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Spring  occurrence.  New  Haven,  1882  (common),  1884,  1886 
(Webb),  1892  (Flint),  1900  (common),  1902,  1905,  1906,  1907 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,   p.   16. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  157 

(A.  A.  S.),  1909;  Stamford,  1888  (L.  B.  B.),  1902,  1905  (Por- 
ter) ;  Seymour,  1888  (Eames)  ;  Bridgeport,  1892  (Eames)  ;  Mil- 
ford,  1893  (Eames) ;  Portland,  1874,  1875,  1876,  1882,  1892, 
1896,  1898,  1899,  1900,  1902,  1905,  1907,  1908,  1909.  J.  N.  C. 
wrote  in  1900  that  in  all  his  collecting  he  had  only  seen  or  taken 
two  Bay-breasted  Warblers  at  Say  brook. 

Dendroica  striata  (J.  R.  Forster).     Black-poll  Warbler. 

An  abundant  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  the  last  of  May  and 
in  September  and  October;  their  presence  in  the  spring  usually 
indicating  the  close  of  the  warbler  migration. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  13, 
1904,  April  29,  1908  (Pangburn)  ;  Portland,  May  8,  1880.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  June  9,  1907,  June  16,  1907  (A.  A.  S.  and 
Barnum)  ;  Portland,  June  17,  1907. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  8,  1902; 
Portland,  Sept.  14,  1908;  East  Hartford,  Sept.  i,  1887,  1890 
(W.  E.  T.);  Litchfield,  Sept.  7,  1905  (H.  Sanford).  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  25,  1906;  Portland,  Oct.  25,  1887. 

Oct.  30,  1906,  New  Haven,  a  pensioner  was  taken  by  L.  B.  B. 

Dendroica  fusca  (Miiller).     Blackburnian  Warbler. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  much  rarer  fall  migrant  in 
May  and  September;  a  few  spending  the  summer  in  the  pine 
groves  of  the  northern  part  of  Litchfield  County,  and  doubtless 
breeding  there. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  4, 
1900,  April  29,  1911  (A.  W.  H.)  ;  April  30,  1908  (Pangburn)  ; 
Portland,  May  6,  1891,  1896.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May 
26,  1900;  May  30,  1907  (Moore)  ;  Portland,  May  30,  1882. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  13,  1905  ; 
Portland,  Sept.  5,  1892;  Stamford,  Aug.  30,  Sept.  4,  1893  (Por- 
ter) ;  Litchfield,  Aug.  29,  1892  (E.  S.  W.).  Latest  record.  New 
Haven,  Oct.  2,  1888  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  28,  1875;  Litch- 
field, Sept.  13,  I9o5  (E.  S.  W.). 

Summer  records.  July,  1873,  Lyme,  a  female  taken  (J.  G. 
Ely)  j1  June  25,  1879,  Cornwall,  male  and  female  taken  (Wool- 
sey,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  June  19,  20,  1904,  Salisbury,  two 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   16. 


158  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

breeding  males  taken  (J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  16,  21,  24, 
29,  1905,  Litchfield  (E.  S.  W.). 

Dendroica  virens  (Gmelin).  Black-throated  Green  War- 
bler. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  the  hemlock  groves  through- 
out the  state  from  May  until  October;  most  abundant  during  the 
migration  in  May  and  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  21,  1886;  Portland,  April 
27,  1886. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  20,  1908;  Nov.  7,  1907  (A. 
A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  21,  1890. 

Nest.  On  the  horizontal  limb  of  a  hemlock,  less  frequently 
in  a  birch  or  cedar ;  3  to  30  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     4-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  21,  1890,  four  eggs 
(H.  W.  R).  Latest  record.  June  20,  1894,  four  eggs  (J.  H.  S.). 

Dendroica  vigors!  ( Audubon) .     Pine  Warbler. 

A  rather  rare  migrant,  chiefly  in  April,  and  still  rarer  summer 
resident. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  10, 
1890,  March  30,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  2,  1882,  Sey- 
mour, April  3,  1885  (Eames).  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May 
3,  1882,  May  12,  1880  (Woolsey)  ;  Portland,  April  28,  1901. 

Fall  records.  East  Hartford,  Sept.  26,  Oct.  5,  1885,  Sept.  9, 
Oct.  5,  1887  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  21,  Oct.  5,  1892;  New 
Haven,  Oct.  10,  1893  (L.  B.  B.),  Oct.  4,  1906  (E.  S.  W.),  Oct. 
8-23,  1906  ( ?)  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Litchfield,  Oct.  8,  1905  (H.  Sanford, 
by  E.  S.  W.). 

Breeding  records.  July  4,  1893,  East  Haven,  nest  with  young 
in  a  pine  about  20  feet  from  the  ground  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  24, 
1906,  Windsor,  a  few  evidently  breeding  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  June  i, 
1909,  East  Haven,  nest  with  three  eggs  in  pitch  pine  (L.  B.  B.). 

Dendroica  palmarum  palmarum  (Gmelin).     Palm  Warbler. 

A  rare  but  probably  regular  fall  migrant,  the  latter  part  of 
September. 

Fall  records.  New  Haven,  Sept.  18,  1878,  male  taken  (Wool- 
sey, in  Peabody  Museum),  Oct.  7,  1905,  two  (E.  S.  W.),  Sept. 
24,  1895,  male,  Oct.  I,  1895,  male,  Sept.  19,  1903,  female,  Sept. 


No.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  159 

26,  1905,  two,  Oct.  5,  1905,  one  female,  Oct.  9,  1906,  Sept.  26, 
1907  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Windsor,  Sept.  4,  1893,  one  young  taken;1 
Portland,  Sept.  7,  1893,  one  shot  in  garden  of  J.  H.  S.  by  S.  R. ; 
Bran  ford,  Sept.  15,  1906,  two  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  East  Haven,  Oct.  5, 
1907  (L.  B.  B.). 

Spring  record.    May  5,  1888,  Stamford,  female  taken  (Hoyt). 

Dendroica  palmarum  hypochrysea  Ridgway.  Yellow  Palm 
Warbler. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  April  and  October; 
possibly  occasionally  wintering. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  10, 
1889,  March  24,  1890  (L.  B.  W.) ;  Portland,  April  4,  1910.  Latest 
record.  New  Haven,  May  13,  1882,  May  14,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ; 
Portland,  May  8,  1893. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  26,  1901, 
1907;  Portland,  Sept.  29,  1893;  Litchfield,  Sept.  22,  1898  (E.  S. 
W.).  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  30,  1907,  Nov.  12,  1892 
(H.  W.  F.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  31,  1908. 

Winter  record.  Dec.  25,  1887,  Woodmont,  one  taken  (R.  D. 
Camp). 

Dendroica  discolor  (Vieillot).     Prairie  Warbler. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  the  southern  part  of  the  state 
from  May  until  July ;  less  common  farther  north. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1882,  1899,  April  27, 
1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  27,  1888. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  17,  1904;  Portland,  Sept. 
21,  1892. 

Nest.  In  a  small  shrub,  often  a  birch  or  bayberry,  in  a  thicket, 
lI/2  to  3  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     3-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  27,  1894,  four  eggs  and 
one  Cowbird's  egg  (Morgan  and  L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  June 
25,  1888,  four  eggs  (Eames). 

Dr.  Eames  found  it  breeding  commonly  in  Seymour  in  hazel 
bushes,  and  has  heard  it  singing  as  late  as  July  10  (1888).  It  is 
very  rare  in  Stamford  (Hoyt  and  Porter).  Mr.  E.  S.  Woodruff 
found  a  few  at  Rainbow,  Windsor,  May  24,  1906. 


1  Auk,  xi,  2,  p.    181. 


l6o  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Seiurus  aurocapillus  (Linnaeus).    Ovenbird. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  woodland  from  May  until 
September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  27,  1907,  April  26,  1902 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  2,  1902,  1908;  Hartford,  April  26, 

I893.1 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  9,  1894;  Portland,  Sept.  28, 
1901. 

Nest.  On  the  ground  in  the  woods,  covered;  usually  com- 
posed of  leaves,  strips  of  bark  and  vines,  and  weeds,  and  lined 
with  fine  grass  and  hair. 

Eggs.     2-6,  usually  3-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  20,  1886,  four  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  20,  1895,  five  eggs  (Beers).  Latest  record. 
July  10,  1900,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

A  set  of  six  eggs  was  collected  near  New  Haven,  May  30, 
1891,  by  H.  W.  F. ;  a  set  of  two  eggs  watched  from  May  31  to 
June  5,  1884,  by  Hamlin,2  and  another  set  of  two  incubated  eggs 
watched  from  June  I  to  June  5,  1896,  by  L.  B.  B. ;  a  nest  with  two 
infertile  eggs  and  five  young  birds  was  found  June  16,  1883,  by 
L.  B.  B. 

This  species  is  much  persecuted  by  the  Cowbirds,  n  out  of 
30  nests  examined  by  L.  B.  B.  containing  eggs  of  this  pest. 

The  Ovenbird  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  July  22  (1904) 
by  L.  B.  B. 

Seiurus  noveboracensis  noveboracensis  (Gmelin).  Water- 
Thrush. 

A  common  migrant  in  May,  August,  and  early  September, 
frequenting  the  swamps  and  sluggish  watercourses. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  6, 
1899,  May  2,  1888  (H.  W.  R),  May  2,  1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Port- 
land, April  27,  1908;  Litchfield,  May  I,  1905  (E.  S.  W.).  Latest 
record,  New  Haven,  May  29,  1907,  May  31,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ; 
Portland,  May  30,  1905;  Litchfield,  June  3,  1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  3,  1898; 
Portland,  Aug.  17,  1886.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  6, 


1  Bird'Lore,  viii,   3,  p.    100. 
a  O.  and  O.,  xvii,  7,  p.  103. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  l6l 

1895;  Portland,  Oct.  3,  1890,   1893,  1894;  Litchfield,  Sept.  23, 
1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Seiurus  noveboracensis  notabilis  Ridgway.  Grinnell's 
Water-Thrush. 

A  rare  visitor  during  migrations. 

Connecticut  records.  Sept.  7,  1904,  Hamden,  young  female; 
Sept.  21,  1904,  East  Haven,  young  male;  May  20,  1905,  Orange, 
adult  male;  Aug.  25,  Sept.  7,  1906,  New  Haven  —  all  taken  by 
L.  B.  B. ;  Aug.  29,  1907,  Branford,  one  found  dead  (L.  C.  S.,  in 
coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Seiurus  motacilla  (Vieillot).     Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 
A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  from  April  until  July, 
breeding  throughout  the  state  but  most  abundant  near  Saybrook. 
Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  April  10,  1896;  Portland,  April 

13,  1892. 

Latest  record.     New  Haven,  Aug.  I,  1904. 

Unusual  record.  Feb.  15,  1882,  Deep  River,  one  shot 
(H.  W.  F.).1 

This  species  is  .rare  in  Litchfield  County,  but  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing records:  July  31,  Aug.  I,  5,  9,  1893,  Litchfield  (E.  S. 
W.)  ;  June  13,  1900,  Warren,  adults  with  young  seen  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
June  20,  1904,  Salisbury,  an  adult  (J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June 

14,  1905,  June  28,  1906,  Mt.  Tom,  Litchfield  County  (E.  S.  W.). 
Nest.    In  an  upturned  root,  a  mossy  bank,  or  under  the  edge 

of  the  cut  bank  of  a  stream,  usually  within  I  to  5  feet  of  the  water. 

Eggs.     4-6;  the  middle  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  6,  1902,  three  eggs  (J. 
C.  A.  M.)  ;  May  9,  1900,  six  eggs  (J.  H.  H.).  Latest  record. 
June  10,  1894,  four  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Heard  singing  as  late  as  July  22  (1904)  by  L.  B.  B. 

Oporornis  formosus  (Wilson).     Kentucky  Warbler. 
Very  rare  summer  visitant  along  the  southwestern  coast. 
Connecticut  records.     May  30,  1888,  West  Stratford,  a  male 
shot  (W.  H.  Lucas)  f  July  10,  1892,  Greenwich,  a  female  seen 

1  O.  and  O.,  yii,  19,  p.   147. 
*  O.  and  O.,  xiv,  4,  p.  62. 

11 


l62  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

feeding  a  well-fledged  nestling  in  the  swampy  woods ;  later,  the 
same  day,  the  male  secured  (C.  G.  Voorhees).1 

Oporornis  agilis   (Wilson).     Connecticut  Warbler. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  migrant  in  late  September  and  early 
October;  shy,  and  frequenting  damp  young  woods  with  dense 
undergrowth;  unknown  in  the  spring. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  12,  1904;  Portland,  Sept. 
7,  1899;  Litchfield,  Sept.  I,  1893  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  East  Hartford, 
Sept.  i,  1887  (W.  E.  T.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  8,  1909,  Oct.  13,  1906  (E. 
S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  12,  1909;  Litchfield,  Oct.  n,  1900  (E.  S. 
W.)  ;  Easton,  Oct.  3,  1908  (H.  W.  B.). 

This  warbler  is  reported  by  E.  S.  W.  as  tolerably  common  in 
the  fall  at  Litchfield.  L.  B.  B.  has  a  dozen  or  so  records  from 
New  Haven,  and  J.  H.  S.  an  equal  number  from  Portland.  At 
other  places  it  seems  to  be  rather  rare,  Porter  reporting  it  from 
Stamford  only  once  (Sept.  28,  1893),  Perry  and  Beers  at  Bridge- 
port once  (Sept.  15,  1904),  and  Hoyt  from  Washington  once 
(Oct.  10,  1904). 

Adult  males  seem  to  be  very  rare,  one  being  taken  Sept.  27, 
1886,  by  H.  W.  R,  another  Sept.,  1893,  by  A.  H.  V.  (in  coll.  of 
Porter),  and  one  seen  Oct.  5,  1901,  by  L.  B.  B.  Taken  at  Port- 
land, Sept.  23,  25,  Oct.  5,  1893,  by  W.  E.  T.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Oporornis  Philadelphia  (Wilson).     Mourning  Warbler. 

A  rare  late  spring  and  fall  migrant. 

Connecticut  records.    Merriam2  records  the  following:    May, 

1875,  Milford,  male  and  female  killed  (Grinnell)  ;  May  15,  17, 

1876,  New  Haven  (Osborn)  ;  May  24,  1876,  New  Haven,  male 
(Bragg)  ;  May  25,  1876,  New  Haven,  two  males  (Dayan)  ;  May 
27,  1876,  New  Haven,  several  seen  (Merriam)  ;  May  25,  1877, 
Savin  Rock,  New  Haven,  male  (Merriam).     Other  records  are: 
May  30,  1877,  Saybrook  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  May  30,  1879,  Whitneyville, 
female   (Woolsey,  in  Peabody  Museum)  ;  May  23,  1882,  Deep 
River,  male  (H.  W.  R,  in  Brewster  collection)  ;  May  8,  1885, 
Litchfield,  two  seen   (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Sept.  24,   1891,  Litchfield,  a 
female,  the  only  fall  record  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  May  17,  18,  1892,  New 

*A*k,  x,   i,  p.  86. 

•Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   23. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  163 

Haven,  two  males  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  26,  1892,  East  Hartford, 
male  taken  (W.  E.  T.)  ;  May  26,  1893,  Whitney ville,  male  seen 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  26,  27,  1893,  Portland,  male  taken  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
May  31,  1898,  Hamden,  male  taken  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B. 
B.)  ;  May  21,  1900,  Kent  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  June  17,  1907,  Portland, 
adult  male  seen  (J.  H.  S.). 

Geothlypis  trichas  trichas  (Linnaeus).  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat. 

A  common  summer  resident,  from  May  until  October. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1899,  1908,  May  I, 
1902,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  29,  1908. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  3,  1883;  Portland,  Nov.  7, 
1884. 

Nest.  On  the  ground  under  a  plant,  or  a  few  inches  from  the 
ground  in  a  tussock  of  grass  or  a  skunk  cabbage  in  a  wooded 
swamp,  or  in  a  bush  in  a  thicket. 

Eggs.    4-5  ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  22,  1888,  five  eggs  (C. 
L.  R.).1  Latest  record.  June  29,  1905,  four  eggs  (E.  S.  W.). 

This  species  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Aug.  I  (1904), 
by  L.  B.  B. 

A  young  male  with  bill  twisted  like  that  of  a  Crossbill  taken 
in  East  Haven,  Oct.  4,  1905  (L.  B.  B.). 

Icteria  virens  virens  (Linnaeus).    Yellow -breasted  Chat. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  July,  breeding 
in  brush  lots  throughout  the  state,  but  most  abundantly  in  the 
southern  portion. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  2,  1899,  1908;  Portland, 
May  6,  1896. 

Latest  record.    New  Haven,  Aug.  17,  1894,  Sept.  21,  1904  (  ?). 

Unusual  records.  Oct.  3,  1896,  New  Haven,  one  just  shot 
seen  in  a  gun  store  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  24,  1911,  Jan.  i,  1912, 
South  Norwalk  (W.  F.  Smith).2 

Nest.  In  a  thick  bush  in  brush  lot,  1^2  to  7  feet  from  the 
ground. 

Eggs.     2-5,  fisually  4;  the  last  of  May. 

1  O.  and  O.,  ii,   i,  p.    i. 
^Bird-Lore,  xiv,  a,  p.   114. 


164  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  22,  1896,  four  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  7,  1888,  four  eggs  (Eames). 

Unusual  sets.  New  Haven,  June  9,  1899,  set  of  two  exceed- 
ingly small  eggs  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Hamden,  May  27,  1896,  five  eggs 
and  two  Cowbirds'  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Wilsonia  citrina  (Boddaert).     Hooded  Warbler. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  of  the  southern  part  of 
the  state  from  May  to  July;  very  rare  inland. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  8,  1894;  East  Haven,  May 
4,  1886  (L.  C.  S.)  ;  Saybrook,  May  2  (J.  N.  C.).1 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  July  22,  1904,  Westville,  Sept. 
20,  1897  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Inland  records.  Suffield  (E.  I.  Shores)  f  Beacon  Falls  and 
Newtown  (Eames)  ;  Winchester,  1900,  nest  with  four  eggs 
(Williams).3  * 

Nest.  Usually  in  the  fork  of  a  small  Kalmia  growing  in  the 
woods,  1-2  feet  from  the  ground;  composed  of  dry  leaves,  grape- 
vine bark,  woolly  and  cottony  material,  and  lined  with  fine  new 
grass,  grape-vine  bark,  root  fibers,  or  horse-hair. 

Eggs.     2-5,  usually  4;  the  beginning  of  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  25,  1880,  four  eggs 
(J.  N.  C.).1  Latest  record.  June  24,  1893,  four  eggs  (H.  W.  F.). 

Breeding  localities.  This  species  has  been  found  breeding 
in  Stamford  (Porter),  Bridgeport  (Beers  and  J.  C.  A.  M.),  up 
the  Homsatonic  as  far  as  Beacon  Falls  and  Newtown  (Eames), 
near  New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.,  A.  H.  V.,  L.  B.  B.),  Saybrook 
(abundant,  J.  N.  C.),  Deep  River  (H.  W.  F.,  Watrous),  New 
London  (Hill). 

This  species  frequents  the  dense  Kalmia  thickets  of  wooded 
hillsides.  On  account  of  its  shy  habits  it  is  not  as  frequently  seen 
as  heard.  The  Hooded  Warbler  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as 
July  22  (1904)  by  L.  B.  B. 

Wilsonia  pusilla  pusilla   (Wilson).     Wilson's  Warbler. 
A  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and  September;  usually 
rather  rare,  and  most  often  seen  in  the  spring. 


1  O.  and  O.,  vi,  2,  p.  9. 
'Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   25. 
•Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  309. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  165 

Spring  migration.     Earliest  record.     New  Haven,  May  1 1, 

1893,  1900;  Portland,  May  8,  1894,  1905.    Latest  record.     New 
Haven,  May  22,  1893,  1907,  June  3,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland, 
June  I,  1907. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  27,  1907. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  22,  1904;  Portland,  Sept.  27, 
1893. 

This  bird  frequents  chiefly  thick  shrubbery  •  in  its  passage 
through  the  state. 

Wilsonia  canadensis  (Linnaeus).     Canada  Warbler. 

A  common  late  spring  migrant  in  May,  and  much  rarer  late 
summer  migrant  in  August;  undoubtedly  breeds  more  or  less 
regularly  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state,  although  few  nests 
have  been  taken. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  8, 
1894;  Portland,  May  I,  1905.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
June  I,  1898,  1907,  June  3,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  June  10, 
1907;  Milford,  June  3,  1900  (J.  C.  A.  M.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  12,  1904. 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  I,  1903;  Portland,  Sept.  I, 
1892;  Litchfield,  Sept.  9,  1892  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  East  Hartford,  Sept. 
16,1885  (W.  E.  T.). 

Summer  records.  June  15,  1885,  June  9,  1891,  Aug.  2,  1893, 
June  13,  14,  1905,  Litchfield  (L.  B.  W.  and  E.  S.  W.)  ;  June  15, 

1894,  near  New  Haven,  a  male  with  a  female  and  young  seen 
(A.  H.  V.,  the  male  taken  by  L.  B.  B.)  ;  July  3,  1896,  Norfolk, 
young  taken  by  W.  E.  T.  (in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.)  ;  June  8,  1900,  Kent 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  u,  1900,  Warren  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  12,  1900, 
Romford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  18,  20,  1904,  Salisbury  (J.  H.  S.  and 
L.  B.  B.)  ;  early  July,  1906,  Salisbury  (H.  K.  J.). 

Nest  record.  May  30,  1889,  Northford,  nest  containing  five 
eggs  in  a  raspberry  bush  in  a  pasture,  male  identified  while  on  the 
nest  (A.  M.  Linsley).1 

As  all  of  the  birds  noted  above  in  June  kept  closely  to  the 
locality  in  which  they  were  first  seen  as  long  as  they  were  ob- 
served, and  as  the  males  taken  were  certainly  breeding  birds,  this 
species  must  be  entered  as  a  summer  resident  in  this  state.  Dur- 


lO'6logist,  vi,   12,  p.  233. 


1 66  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

f 

ing  this  time  this  warbler  frequents  secluded  ravines  or  wooded 
hillsides,  with  thick  undergrowth  of  Kalmia,  and  carpeted  with 
dry  leaves. 

Setophaga  ruticilla  (Linnaeus).    Redstart. 
A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  September,  breed- 
ing in  somewhat  larger  numbers  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state. 
Earliest  record.    New  Haven,  April  30,  1908 ;  Portland,  April 

30,  1903- 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1897,  Oct.  5,  1907  (A. 
A.  S.) ;  Portland,  Sept.  26,  1890. 

Nest.  Usually  in  a  fork  of  the  trunk  of  a  small  deciduous  tree, 
from  10  to  20  feet  from  the  ground.  Building,  May  20.  to 
June  15. 

Eggs.     3-5,  usually  4;  early  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  20,  1894,  five  eggs 
(H.  W.  F.).  Latest  record.  June  27,  1883,  three  eggs  (Eames). 

Young  males  with  the  plumage  somewhat  brighter  than  the 
juvenal,  with  scattered  black  feathers  on  the  throat,  are  common 
in  the  spring,  and  also  occasionally  noted  in  the  fall  (Sept.  17, 
1900,  Sept.  10,  1904,  L.  B.  B.).  L.  B.  B.  is  inclined  to  believe 
that  this  is  the  normal  plumage  of  the  male  in  the  second  year, 
and  that  it  is  assumed  the  first  fall. 

The  Redstart  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Aug.  15  (1904) 
by  L.  B.  B. 

Family  MOTACILLIDyE.     Wagtails. 

Anthus  rubescens  (Tunstall).     Pipit. 

An  abundant  fall  migrant  in  October  and  early  November  in 
the  salt  marshes;  much  rarer  in  the  spring  and  in  the  interior  of 
the  state. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  2, 
1898;  Portland,  April  8,  1909;  Stamford,  March  26,  1894  (Por- 
ter). Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April  24,  1889,  May  16,  1888 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  May  8,  1905;  Bridgeport,  May  4,  1892 
(Eames). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  25,  1903 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  27,  1892.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  9, 
1903,  Nov.  23,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Nov.  5,  1890. 

Winter  records.     Samuels  recorded  that  this   species    "  re- 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  167 

mained  throughout  mild  winters  in  southern  New  England."  1 
Dec.  i,  1883,  Dec.  31,  1885,  Dec.  12,  1889,  Guilford  (L.  B.  B.). 

Family  MIMID^E.    Thrashers,  Mockingbirds,  etc. 

Mimus  polyglottos  polyglottos  (Linnaeus).     Mockingbird. 

Very  rare  visitant. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  recorded  it  from  Stratford  and 
New  Haven2;  Milford  (G.  B.  Grinnell)2;  Suffield  (Lester)2; 
Saybrook  (J.  N.  C.)2;  May  30,  1877,  near  New  Haven 
(Osborne)2;  Dec.  18,  1882,  New  Haven  (formerly  in  coll.  of 
L.  C.  S.,  seen  in  flesh  by  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  20,  1884,  Jewett  City, 
nest  with  five  eggs,  June  28,  second  clutch  of  three  eggs,  female 
shot  and  identified  (Prior)8;  July  21,  1894,  West  Haven,  one 
reported  seen,  in  the  New  Haven  Journal  and  Courier;  Nov.  2, 
1904,  New  Haven,  one  flew  into  greenhouse  (J.  Y.  Stetson,  seen 
by  L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  9,  1907,  Middletown,  one  seen  (Cady)  ;  Nov. 
30,  1910  —  Feb.  9,  1911,  West  Hartford,  one  seen  and  identified 
by  Mrs.  L.  A.  Cressy;  another  seen  the  same  winter  (St.  John)4; 
Feb.  8  —  April  4,  1911,  Portland,  one  seen  by  C.  H.  N. 

The  late  Frank  L.  Burr,  of  the  Hartford  Times,  once  told 
me  that  about  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  a  pair  of  Mockingbirds 
nested  in  the  meadow  north  of  Avon  St.,  Hartford.  There  was 
no  question  as  to  the  identity  of  the  birds,  but  the  eggs  were 
destroyed.  A  year  or  two  later  a  pair  had  a  nest  quite  near  a 
house  on  Wethersfield  Ave.  in  the  same  city,  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Armsmear,  the  residence  of  the  late  Mrs.  Samuel  Colt.  This 
nest  also  had  eggs  which  were  destroyed.  Gurdon  Trumbull, 
the  artist  and  ornithologist  of  Hartford,  now  dead,  informed 
me  that  he  remembered  distinctly  two  or  three  pairs  of  these 
birds  nesting,  about  1860,  in  what  was  then  known  as  Gillette's 
Grove,  Hartford.  He  saw  the  birds  and  heard  them  sing.  The 
eggs  were  taken  by  Mr.  Trumbull  and  a  boy  friend,  now  a 
well-known  actor  and  playwright.  (J.  H.  S.) 

Dumetella  carolinensis   (Linnaeus).     Catbird. 
An  abundant  summer  resident  from  May  until  September; 
winters  accidentally. 


1  Samuels,  Birds  of  New  England,  p.  200. 
3Merriam,    Birds  of   Conn.,   p.   7. 
3O.  and  O.,  ix,  8,  pp.   94-95, 
^Bird-Lore,  xiii,  2,  p.  97. 


1 68  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  30,  1908,  April  29,  1882 
(L.  C.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  27,  1908. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  2,  1904,  Nov.  4,  1874,  1875 
(Merriam)  ;x  Portland,  Oct.  12,  1909. 

Winter  records.  Jan.  24,  1900,  Guilford,  one  taken  (A.  H. 
V.  andL.B.B.)  ;  Jan.  4,  1904,  Berlin,  bird  which  had  spent  winter, 
being  fed  by  people,  died  of  starvation  (seen  by  J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dec. 
24,  1911,  South  Norwalk  (W.  F.  Smith).2 

Nest.  In  a  thicket,  such  as  in  an  elder  bush  or  grape-vine, 
or  low  willow,  or  tangle  of  bushes,  3  to  12  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     2-5,  commonly  4;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  17,  1887,  nest  with 
five  eggs  (J.  N.  C.).3  Latest  record.  July  26,  1889,  nest  with 
three  fresh  eggs  (W.  I.  C.)  ;4'  Aug.  4,  1882,  two  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  nesting  records.  June  5,  1889,  nest  composed  largely 
of  paper  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  20,  1893,  nest  with  five  eggs,  built 
inside  old  Robin's  nest  (Beers)  ;  June  3,  1894,  Branford,  nest 
with  six  eggs  (Nichols). 

Mr.  John  Nichols  records  having  seen  eggs  of  this  species 
spotted  with  red. 

Toxostoma  rufum  (Linnaeus).     Brown  Thrasher. 

A  common  summer  resident  from  May  until  September;  win- 
ters accidentally. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  23,  1906,  April  21,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.  and  E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  March  28,  1879,  April  20, 
1910. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  24,  1911 ;  Portland,  Oct.  20, 
1890;  Branford,  Nov.  29,  1911  (John  Nichols). 

Winter  records.  Shortly  before  Feb.  15,  1896,  Bethel,  col- 
lected by  E.  T.  and  H.  C.  Judd  (in  coll.  of  H.  C.  Judd)  ;  Jan.  17, 
Feb.  ii  and  22,  1912,  South  Norwalk  (W.  F.  Smith).5 

Nest.  Commonly  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a  stump,  in  a 
heap  of  brush,  in  bushes  up  to  4  feet  from  the  ground,  or  very 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  8. 
» Bird-Lore,  xiv,  2,  p.   114. 
8  O.  and  O.,  xii,  10,  p.   174. 
*Oologist,  vi,   12,   p.   231. 
6  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  2,  p.   114. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  169 

rarely  higher  in  a  tree,  12  feet  from  the  ground,  May  30,  1896 
(Camp  and  L.  B.  B.). 

Eggs.     3-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  12,  1894,  five  eggs  (L. 
B.  B.).  Latest  record.  July  8,  1882,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

The  Brown  Thrasher  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Sept. 
16  (1904)  by  L.  B.  B. 

A  female  with  the  bill  unusually  long  and  slender  and  the 
maxilia  extending  .19  inch  beyond  the  mandible,  taken  at  New 
Haven,  May  2,  1892  (C.  F.  Hedges,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.). 

Family  TROGLODYTIDJE.    Wrens. 

Thryothorus  ludovicianus  ludovicianus  (Latham).  Caro- 
lina Wren. 

A  rare  resident  of  the  southern  border,  having  apparently 
appeared,  and  certainly  greatly  increased,  during  the  last  few 
years. 

Connecticut  records.  Merriam1  gave  no  records,  but  said, 
"  it  doubtless  occurs  as  a  rare  summer  resident  from  the  South 
in  the  Connecticut  Valley  and  along  our  southern  border  ".  Nov. 
15,  1878,  Saybrook,  one  taken  (J.  N.  C.)2;  March  2,  1883, 
Portland,  male  shot  (C.  H.  N.)3;  1884,  Portland,  one  reported 
seen  by  Chas.  Lincoln;  March  18,  1886,  East  Hartford,  male 
taken  (W.  E.  T.)4;  fall,  1891,  Stamford,  two  taken  (reported 
by  Hoyt)  ;  April  8,  1892,  Bridgeport,  male  taken  (Eames)G; 
Oct.  23,  1894,  Stamford,  one  taken  (Hoyt,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Nov.  30,  1894,  Stamford,  male  (Schaler)  ;  April  20,  1895,  two 
seen,  June  13,  1895,  same  two  and  two  young  seen,  near  Bridge- 
port (Fames  and  Taylor)6;  Dec.  17,  1897,  Lyme,  one  seen 
(Brockway)7;  April  7,  1900,  Norwalk,  pair  seen  (Smith)8; 
July  15,  1901,  Chester,  nest  with  five  eggs  (Watrous)8;  winter, 
1901-2,  Norwalk,  pair  wintered  (Smith)9,  May  2,  1902,  Norwalk, 


1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.    n. 

*Bull.  Nuttall  Ornith.  Club,  iv,   i,  p.  61. 

*Bull,  Nuttall  Ornith.  Club,  viii,  2,  p.   120. 

4  Auk,  iii,  4,  p.  489. 

•  Auk,  x,  i,  p.  89. 

*Auk,  xiii,   i,  p.   84. 

7  Auk,  xv,  2,  p.   192. 

8 Auk,  xix,  i,  p.  91. 

9  Bird-Lore,  v,   5,   pp.    163-4 


I7O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

nest  (Smith)1,  Sept.  n,  1902,  New  Haven,  young  male  taken 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  31,  1902,  Guilford,  young  female  taken,  another 
seen,  and  still  another  Nov.  4,  1903  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  1903,  Norwalk, 
tow  pairs  nested  (Smith)1;  Nov.  4,  1903,  Leete's  Island,  one  seen 
(L.  B.  B.). 

After  1903  records  of  this  species  in  Connecticut  ceased,  and 
it  is  probable  that  nearly  all  of  those  Wrens  perished  in  the  cold 
winters  of  1903-4  and  1904-5.  In  the  winter  of  1908-9  the 
Carolina  Wren  again  appeared  in  numbers:  New  Haven,  Dec. 
25,  1908  —  March  6,  1909,  two  seen  on  a  dozen  dates  (A.  W.  H., 
C.  H.  P.,  D.  B.  P.),  May  26,  1909,  one  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Bethel,  March 
17,  1909,  one  (R.  C.  Judd)  ;  Bridgeport,  May  9,  June  I,  1909 
(H.  W.  B.);  Portland,  Feb.  22,  23,  June  n,  12,  18,  1909  (J. 
H.  S.)  ;  Hartford,  May  16,  1909,  one  seen  (Smith,  Powers,  and 
Gabriel).  Since  then  we  have  no  records  until  Nov.  16-23,  I9II> 
when  a  male  was  seen  and  heard  singing  at  East  Hartford  by 
W.  E.  T.  The  bird  remained  and  was  in  full  song  Aug.  20,  1912. 
Westbrook,  Aug.  4,  1912,  nest  with  two  young  (Mrs.  L.  W. 
Gregg).  Probably  this  Wren  still  occurs  near  Stamford,  where 
it  was  apparently  firmly  established  as  early  as  1895. 

Troglodytes  aedon  aedon  Vieillot.     House  Wren. 

A  tolerably  common  summer  resident  of  orchards  from  May 
to  September;  not  abundant  anywhere,  and  apparently  decreas- 
ing in  numbers. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  26,  1909,  April  24,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  19,  1896. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  14,  1907,  Oct.  16,  1906  (E. 
S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  26,  1893;  East  Hartford,  Oct.  16,  1887 
(W.  E.  T.). 

Nest.  In  a  hollow  in  a  tree,  commonly  an  apple,  in  a  post  or 
a  building,  occasionally  in  the  deserted  nest  of  a  Baltimore 
Oriole.2  Height  from  ground,  6  to  18  feet. 

Eggs  3-8,  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  23,  1884,  three  eggs 
(L.  B.  B.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  12,  1900,  five  eggs  (W.  R. 
Nichols).  A  set  of  eight  eggs  was  collected  in  Westville,  New 
Haven,  May  30,  1894  (H.  W.  R). 

1  Bird-Lore,  v,  5,  pp.   163-4. 

^Bird-Lore,  i,  5,  p.  166.     Oologist,  xiv,  6,  p.  58. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  17! 

The  spread  of  the  English  Sparrows  into  the  farming  districts 
has  probably  had  much  to  do  with  the  decrease  of  this  species,  as 
they  preempt  all  the  suitable  breeding  hollows  before  the  House 
Wrens  arrive.  In  New  Haven,  where  this  Wren  formerly  bred 
commonly,  even  in  the  center  of  the  city,  its  song  is  now  seldom 
heard. 

The  House  Wren  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Sept.  16 
(1904)  by  L.  B.  B. 

Nannus  hiemalis  hiemalis  (Vieillot).     Winter  Wren. 

A  tolerably  common  fall  migrant  in  October,  a  much  rarer 
winter  resident  and  spring  migrant;  very  rarely  breeds  in  this 
state. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  18,  1903 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  23,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  4, 
1903;  Portland,  Nov.  27,  1889. 

Winter  records.  Dec.  I,  1879,  New  Haven  (Goodrich,  in  coll. 
of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  14,  1901,  Jan.  15,  1902,  March  7, 1903,  Jan.  9, 
1905,  Guilford  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Feb.  I,  1877,  Feb.  4,  1885,  March  12, 
1889,  Feb.  22,  1890,  Feb.  23,  1891,  Feb.  22,  1899,  Dec.  9,  1901, 
Dec.  21,  1908,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

Spring  records.  New  Haven,  May  15,  1889  (L.  B.  W.), 
April  10,  1889,  May  3,  1904  (L.  B.  B.),  March  29,  April  26, 
1907  (A.  A.  S.  and  C.  H.  P.)  ;  Bridgeport,  May  3,  1892  (Eames). 

Summer  record.  Sage's  Ravine,  Salisbury,  July  5,  6,  1906, 
two  pairs  found  (H.  K.  J.).1 

One  noticed  singing  as  late  as  Nov.  4  (1903)  by  L.  B.  B. 

Cistothorus  stellaris  (Naumann).  Short-billed  Marsh 
Wren. 

A  rare  summer  resident  from  June  to  September;  tolerably 
common  in  parts  of  Litchfield  County. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  22,  1890  (L.  B.  W.)  ; 
Portland,  May  15,  1888. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  13,  1906  (H.  H.  Townsend)  ; 
Portland,  Oct.  14,  1892. 

Distribution.  Litchfield,  reported  fairly  common  by  E.  S.  W., 
and  eggs  found  June  8,  1891,  and  June  27,  1907,  and  two  birds 

»Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.  310. 


172  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

taken  by  A.  H.  V.,  Sept.  15,  1894;  Warren,  June  9,  12,  1900,  taken 
by  L.  B.  B. ;  Bethel,  reported  regularly  by  G.  L.  Hamlin,  eggs 
taken  July  10,  1890,  by  H.  C.  Judd ;  Danbury,  one  pair  reported 
regularly  by  G.  L.  Hamlin;  New  Haven,  May  22,  1890  (L.  B. 
W.),  July  19,  1893  (Hedges  and  H.  W.  R),  Sept.  25,  1895  (H. 
W.  R),  Oct.  13,  1906  (Townsend);  Portland,  fairly  regular 
during  the  last  week  of  September  and  first  of  October  from 
1890  to  1899  (Sept.  9,  1893,  Oct.  14,  1892),  also  May  15,  1888, 
May  23,  1904,  and  May  16,  1910. 

Nest.  In  grass  of  a  shallow  fresh-water  marsh,  from  I  to 
2  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     5-8;  the  middle  of  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  8,  1891,  seven  eggs 
(L.  B.  W.  and  E.  S.  W.).  Latest  record.  July  10,  1890,  eggs 
(H.  C.  Judd). 

Telmatodytes  palustris  palustris  (Wilson).  Long-billed 
Marsh  Wren. 

An  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  salt  and  brackish  marshes 
from  May  to  September. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  5,  1896;  Portland,  May 
5,  1906,  1908. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  8,  1904;  Portland,  Oct.  26, 
1887. 

Winter  records.  Nov.  26,  1905,  Feb.  24,  1906,  March  6,  1906, 
Quinnipiac  Marshes,  North  Haven  (E.  S.  W.). 

Nest.  In  grass  of  a  marsh,  cat-tails,  sweet  flag,  or  small 
bushes,  from  I  to  6  feet  from  the  ground,  usually  I  to  3  feet. 

Eggs.     2-6;  the  middle  of  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  June  i,  1905,  five  eggs  (J. 
H.  S.).  Latest  record.  Aug.  24,  1903,  two  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  eggs.  Set  of  four  white  eggs,  June  24,  1893,  Quin- 
nipiac Marshes,  North  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  set  of  five,  same  spot, 
less  than  10  yards  away,  July  n,  1893 ;  four  more,  in  a  nest  about 
8  feet  from  the  first,  July  28,  1893 ;  Portland,  June  8,  1905,  set 
of  six  (J.  H.  S.). 

This  species  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Sept.  18  (1895) 
and  Sept.  26  (1904)  by  L.  B.  B. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  173 

Family  CERTHIID^.     Creepers. 

Certhia  familiaris  americana  Bonaparte.     Brown  Creeper. 

A  tolerably  common  winter  resident  from  October  to  April; 
most  common  in  October,  but  wintering  regularly  in  small 
numbers. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  22,  1903,  1904 ;  Portland, 
Oct.  2,  1893;  Litchfield,.Sept.  19,  1906  (E.  S.  W.). 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  7,  1888;  Portland,  April 
27,  1907;  Danbury,  April  28,  1907  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  East  Hartford, 
May  7,  1892  (W.  E.  T.). 

Family  SITTID^E.     Nuthatches. 

Sitta  carolinensis  carolinensis  Latham.  White-breasted 
Nuthatch. 

A  tolerably  common  resident,  but  less  common  than  formerly 
in  southern  Connecticut. 

Nest.  In  a  hole,  at  least  partially  excavated  by  the  birds  them- 
selves, in  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree  in  the  woods  at  from  25  to  30 
feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     5-9;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  21,  1890,  five  eggs 
(J.  H.  S.).  Latest  record.  May  30,  1877,  six  e£gs  (J-  H.  S.). 

A  set  of  eight  eggs  taken,  May  13,  1902  (Hill)  ;  a  set  of  nine 
eggs  taken  in  Jewett  City,  May  19,  1884  (C.  E.  Prior).1 

Sitta  canadensis  Linnseus.     Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 

A  common  fall  and  rare  spring  migrant,  and  an  irregular 
winter  resident;  most  abundant  in  October. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  24, 
1902;  Portland,  March  14,  1893,  1900.  Latest  record.  New 
Haven,  April  I,  1896,  April  27,  1888  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  Portland,  May 
10,  1893. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Aug.  27, 1903 ; 
Portland,  Sept.  4,  1908.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  4, 
1903,  Nov.  28,  1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Oct.  18,  1888. 

Winter  records.  New  Haven,  Feb.  22,  1894,  Feb.  10,  Dec. 
10,  1896,  Jan.  24,  Feb.  6,  16,  21,  1900,  Jan.  15,  Dec.  30,  1902, 


1  O.  and  O.,  ix,  8,  p.   100. 


174  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

(L.  B.  B.),  Jan.  25,  1907  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Dec.  9,  30,  1895, 
Jan.  23 —  Feb.  22,  1896,  Dec.  6-18,  1899,  Feb.  12,  1900,  Jan. 
15,  1902  (J.  H.  S.). 

Breeding  records.  June  i,  1876,  Winchester,  nest  with  eggs 
found,  the  female  being  shot  (in  coll.  of  Williams)  j1  June  27, 
1896,  Norfolk,  male,  female,  and  young  taken  by  W.  E.  T. 
(in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.) 

Family  PARID^.     Titmice. 

Basolophus  bicolor  (Linnaeus).     Tufted  Titmouse. 

A  very  rare  visitor  from  the  south. 

The  only  Connecticut  records  are  those  noted  by  Merriam:2 
Linsley  recorded  it  at  New  Haven ;  Feb.  27,  1872,  one  shot,  Jan., 
1874,  one  seen,  Lyme  (J.  G.  Ely)  ;  taken  near  Hartford  by  Dr. 
D.  Crary. 

Penthestes  atricapillus  atricapillus  (Linnaeus).     Chickadee. 

A  common  resident;  keeping  in  family  flocks  except  in  the 
breeding  seasons,  and  venturing  into  the  cities  in  the  fall  and 
winter. 

Nest.  In  a  hole  excavated  by  the  birds  in  a  dead  stump  or 
limb  at  from  10  inches  to  20  feet  from  the  ground.  The  entrance 
is  often  from  the  top  of  the  stump,  and  the  nest  cavity  sometimes 
extends  below  the  ground  level. 

Eggs.     3-10;  the  middle  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  n,  1891,  seven  eggs 
(J.  N.  C).  Latest  record.  July  2,  1893,  four  eggs  (A.  H.  V. 
and  L.  B.  B.). 

Unusual  sets.  Set  of  eight  and  another  of  nine  reported  at 
Wallingford  in  1884  (J.  R.  M.)  ;3  set  of  eight  taken  at  Ivoryton, 
May  28,  1895  (G.  D.  French,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  set  of  ten 
found  May  30,  1904,  and  set  of  eight  found  May  18,  1907,  at 
Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

Penthestes  hudsonicus  hudsonicus  (J.  R.  Forster).  Hud- 
sonian  Chickadee. 

The  only  Connecticut  record  for  this  species  is  reported  in  the 
Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Ornith.  Club  for  July,  1876,  and  is  quoted 

1  Job,  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study,  p.   311. 
8  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  9. 
*  Young  Oologist,  i,   5,  p.  70. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  175 

by  Merriam:1  "On  Nov.  13,  1875,  Mr.  Robert  Morris,  while 
shooting  in  a  wooded  ravine  a  few  miles  from  town  (New 
Haven),  killed  a  female  Hudsonian  Titmouse  (Parus  Hudson- 
icus).  The  specimen  is  now  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Osborne  of  this  city." 

Family  SYLVIEME.     Warblers,  Kinglets,  Gnatcatchers. 
Subfamily  REGULIN;E.     Kinglets. 

Regulus  satrapa  satrapa  Lichtenstein.  Golden-crowned 
Kinglet. 

An  abundant  fall  and  common  spring  migrant,  and  tolerably 
common  winter  resident;  the  majority  passing  through  the  state 
in  October  and  November  and  again  in  March  and  April. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  I, 
1898;  Portland,  March  2,  1898.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
April  28,  1906,  May  n,  1906  (A.  A.  S.) ;  Portland,  April  25, 
1888. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  24,  1903 ; 
Portland,  Oct.  8,  1890;  Litchfield,  Sept.  21,  1896  (L.  B.  W.). 
Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Nov.  22,  1904;  Portland,  Nov.  28, 
1881. 

Winter  records.  It  has  been  observed  in  small  numbers  near 
New  Haven  during  most  winters  by  L.  B.  B.,  and  in  Portland 
during  the  winters  of  1874-5,  1877-8,  1889-90,  1892-3,  1899-1900, 
1902-3,  1910-11,  by  J.  H.  S. 

Regulus  calendula  calendula  (Linnaeus).  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet. 

A  common  fall  and  tolerably  common  spring  migrant  in 
October  and  April;  mingling  with  the  Golden-crowned  Kinglet. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  7, 
1888 ;  Portland,  April  8,  1889.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  April 
27,  1907,  May  14,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  6,  1891 ;  Litch- 
field, May  10,  1905  (E.  S.  W.). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  22,  1904; 
Portland,  Sept.  26,  1893.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  28, 
1904,  Nov.  4,  1907  (A.  A.  S.),  Nov.  24  (Merriam)  ?  Portland, 

1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   10. 
a  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   8. 


176  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Oct.  26,   1892;  Guilford,  Nov.  22,   1894,  one  with  slightly  in- 
jured leg  taken  (L.  B.  B.). 

A  young  male  with  the  crown  patch  orange-burl  and  the  entire 
plumage  more  gray  even  than  adults  in  spring  was  collected 
in  New  Haven,  Oct.  28,  1904,  by  L.  B.  B. 

Subfamily  POLIOPTILIN^E.     Gnatcatchers. 

Polioptila  caerulea  caerulea  (Linnaeus).  Blue-gray  Gnat- 
catcher. 

Very  rare  summer  visitant. 

Connecticut  records.  Linsley  recorded  it  from  Stratford;1 
1874  (male),  1876  (female),  Wauregan,  shot  by  C.  M.  Carpen- 
ter;1 May  n,  1883,  Portland,  male  shot  (in  possession  of  J.  W. 
Lord)  f  Sept.  i,  1885,  New  Haven,  young  male  taken  (L.  C. 
S.)  ;3  May  7,  1886,  East  Hartford,  female  killed  (W.  E.  T.)  f 
April  6,  1892,  Stratford,  one  heard  (Eames).5 

Family   TURDID^E.     Thrushes,    Solitaires,    Stonechats,    Blue- 
birds, etc. 

Subfamily  TURBINE.     Thrushes. 

Hylocichla  mustelina  (Gmelin).     Wood  Thrush. 

A  common  summer  resident  throughout  the  state  from  May 
till  September;  abundant  along  the  southern  border. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  April  26,  1900;  Portland,  April 
28,  1902. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  3,  1895,  1903,  Oct.  4,  1906 
(E.  S.  W.)  ;  Portland,  Sept.  18,  1893. 

Nest.  In  a  sapling  or  tree  in  the  deep  woods,  2-25  feet  from 
the  ground.  Building,  May  1025. 

Eggs.     3-5 ;  the  last  of  May  or  first  week  in  June. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  16,  1900,  four  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  July  22,  1904,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

Spotted  eggs  have  occasionally  been  taken  by  J.  H.  S.,6 
W.  W.  C,6  J.  N.  C.,6  and  W.  R.  Nichols. 


f1  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.  8. 

8  Bull.  Nuttall  Ornith.  Club,  viii,  3,  p.  179. 

»  O.  and  O.,  xii,  9,  p.  156. 

*Auk,  iii,  4,  p.  487. 

6 Auk,  x,   i,  p.  89. 

•  Merriam,  Birds  of  Conn.,  p.   6. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 

A  young  albino  without  a  single  dark  feather  was  taken  in 
Trumbull,  July  10,  1889  (in  Averill  coll.  of  the  Bpt.  Sci.  Soc.). 

Hylocichla  fuscescens  fuscescens  (Stephens).  Wilson's 
Thrush.  Veery. 

A  common  summer  resident  of  damp  woodland  throughout  the 
state  from  May  until  July. 

Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  i,  1896,  April  30,  1888 
(L.  B.  W.),  1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  April  27,  1907. 

Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  22,  1903;  Portland,  Aug. 
30,  1894. 

Nest.  On  the  ground  underneath  a  bush  or  among  dead  leaves 
in  the  woods,  in  a  tussock  of  grass  in  a  swamp,  very  rarely  as 
much  as  a  foot  above  the  ground  in  a  bush.  Building,  May 

J5-30. 

Eggs.    4-5 ;  the  last  of  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  20,  190x3,  three  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  June  13,  1905,  Litchfield 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Spotted  eggs  were  found  in  Litchfield,  May  30,  1903  (L.  B. 
W.  andE.  S.  W.). 

Hylocichla  fuscescens  salicicola  Ridgway.     Willow  Thrush. 

A  visitor  from  the  West  during  migrations. 

Connecticut  records.  May  5,  1894,  Woodbridge;  Sept.  23, 
1895,  New  Haven;  May  16,  1900,  May  14,  1904,  East  Haven; 
each  time  an  adult  male  taken  by  L.  B.  B. 

Hylocichla  aliciae  aliciae  (Baird).     Gray-cheeked  Thrush. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and  September. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  9, 
1900;  Portland,  May  n,  1893;  Litchfield,  May  7,  1905  (E.  S. 
W.).  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  May  27,  1896,  May  29,  1907 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  27,  1885;  Seymour,  May  29,  1888 
(Eames)  ;  Bridgeport,  May  29,  1889  (Eames). 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  5,  1906; 
Portland,  Sept.  14,  1895.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Oct.  n, 
1906;  Portland,  Sept.  26,  1893;  East  Hartford,  Oct.  5,  1887 
(W.  E.  T.). 

12 


178  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Hylocichla  aliciae  bicknelli  Ridgway.     Bicknell's  Thrush. 

A  rather  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and  late 
September;  associating  with  the  Gray-cheeked  Thrush. 

Spring  migration.  New  Haven,  May  15  (1907,  1908) — May 
22  (1902). 

Fall    migration.      New    Haven,    Sept.    17    (1903) — Oct.    24 
(1895).    H.  W.  F. 

Spring  records.  May  16,  1900,  May  22,  1902,  May  20,  1906, 
May  15,  1907,  1908,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.). 

Fall  records.  Sept.  23,  1893,  Stamford,  male  (Porter)  ;  Oct. 
3,  1895,  New  Haven,  male  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct. 
24,  1895,  New  Haven,  male  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Sept.  17,  30,  Oct.  3, 
1903,  Sept.  21,  1904,  Oct.  i,  1904,  Sept  27,  1905,  Oct.  9,  1906, 
Oct.  5,  1907,  Oct.  9,  1911,  New  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Oct.  n,  1906, 
New  Haven  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  Oct.  3,  1908,  Easton  (  H.  W.  B.). 

Hylocichla  ustulata  swainsoni  (Tschudi).  Olive-backed 
Thrush. 

A  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  May  and 
September. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  May  10, 
1900,  1904;  Portland,  May  7,  1894.  Latest  record.  New  Haven, 
May  25,  1908,  May  29,  1907  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  May  29,  1893. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  7,  1903, 
Sept.  4,  1874  (Hall)  j1  Portland,  Sept.  28,  1876.  Latest  record. 
New  Haven,  Oct.  4,  1895,  1901,  Oct.  12,  1887  (H.  W.  F.),  Oct. 
13  (Merriam);1  Portland,  Oct.  5,  1886 ;  Litchfield,  Oct.  19,  1886 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;  Guilford,  Nov.  10,  1906  (E.  S.  W.). 

Hylocichla  guttata  pallasi   (Cabanis).     Hermit  Thrush. 

A  common  spring  and  fall  migrant  in  April  and  October, 
breeding  regularly  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state,  and 
wintering  rarely  along  the  coast. 

Spring  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  March  16, 
1907;  Portland,  April  6,  1875,  1888.  Latest  record.  May  17, 
1907,  May  18,  1893  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  Portland,  May  8,  1888. 

Fall  migration.  Earliest  record.  New  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1883 ; 
Portland,  Oct.  2,  1893,  1899.  Latest  record.  New  Haven,  Dec. 


1  Merriam,   Birds  of  Conn.,   p.    7. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  179 

i,  1883;  Portland,  Oct.  27,  1884,  1885;  East  Hartford,  Nov.  8, 
1890  (W.  E.  T.). 

Winter  records.  Dec.  14,  22,  1877,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ; 
March  i,  1878,  New  Haven  (Hotchkiss)  ;  Jan.  6,  1882,  Guilford 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.,  1883,  Saybrook  (J.  N.  C.)  ;*  Dec.  26,  1892, 
New  Haven  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  Jan.  22,  1896,  East  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
Jan.  8,  1901,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.)  ;  Dec.  18,  1903,  Guilford  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  Jan.  i,  1904,  Bristol  (Smith  and  Bruen)  ;  Jan.  19,  1907, 
New  Haven  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Feb.  13,  1911,  Portland  (J.  H.  S.). 

Summer  records.  June  19,  1887,  Hartford  County,  nest  with 
three  eggs  found  ("An  Observer");2  July  2,  1891,  Litchfield, 
speckled  young  found,  probably  one  of  a  brood  raised  near  by 
(L.  B.  W.)  ;3  June  20,  23,  1893,  two  nests  containing  three  eggs 
each  taken  at  Norfolk  (J.  H.  S.)  ;4  June  18,  1904,  Salisbury, 
several  heard  and  one  taken  (J.  H.  S.  and  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  27, 
1905,  Litchfield,  breeding  female  taken  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  July,  1906, 
Salisbury  (H.  K.  J.)  ;  June  23,  1907,  Litchfield,  male  in  song 
(E.  S.  W.). 

Planesticus  migratorius  migratorius  (Linnaeus).     Robin. 

An  abundant  summer  and  an  irregular  winter  resident;  the 
majority  arriving  in  March  and  leaving  in  October. 

Earliest  record.5  New  Haven,  March  7,  1903,  1910,  March 
3,  1902  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  March  3,  1884. 

Latest  record.5  New  Haven,  Nov.  28,  1900,  1903;  Portland, 
Nov.  27,  1881. 

Winter  records.  This  species  has  been  recorded  in  January, 
February,  or  December,  in  New  Haven,  1882,  1883,  1884,  1885, 
1886,  1896,  1902,  1903,  1904,  1905  (L.  B.  B.) ;  1887  (L-  B.  W.)  ; 
1906  (E.  S.  W.)  ;  1907,  1908,  1909,  1910  (D.  B.  P.)  ;  in  Portland, 
1863,  1880,  1882,  1885,  1886,  1890,  1891,  1892,  1893,  1896,  1897, 
1899,  1900,  1905,  1906,  1907,  1910  (J.  H.  S.).  A  few  probably 
winter  regularly  each  year. 

Nest.  In  almost  every  possible  situation;  the  fork  of  a  limb 
of  a  tree,  on  a  stump  close  to  the  ground,  on  a  fallen  limb,  a  pile 

1  O.  and  O.,  viii,   10,  p.  80. 

2  Oblogist,  viii,  4,  p.   92. 
9  Auk,   ix,  2,  p.   202. 

4  Auk,  x,  4,  p.  371. 
8  Migrants. 


» 
l8o  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

of  brush,  a  tree-box,  on  the  porch  of  a  house  or  the  rafter  of  a 
barn,  on  a  ledge  of  rocks,  on  a  fence  rail  —  most  frequently  in  a 
tree.  Height  from  ground,  3-60  feet;  rarely,  on  the  ground. 
Building,  April  15  to  May  10. 

Eggs.     2-5,  usually  3  or  4;  early  in  May. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  21,  1883,  two  eggs  (L. 
B.  B.).  Latest  record.  August  3,  1882,  four  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Spotted  eggs  are  occasionally  found;  e.  g.,  1884,  Guilford,  set 
of  four,  profusely  but  faintly  spotted  with  Mars  brown  (Wild- 
man)  ;  1885,  ibid.,  four  more  heavily  marked  (Wildman)  ;  May 
28,  1897,  Woodbridge,  set  of  three  (H.  W.  F.). 

Runt  eggs  have  been  noted:  June  3,  1882,  Guilford,  two 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  June  10,  1894,  Branford,  one  (L.  B.  B.). 

Peculiar  nests.  May  12,  1894,  New  Haven,  nest  made  of 
thin  strips  of  tissue  paper,  which  depended  from  it  in  long 
streamers  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  May  22,  1898,  nest  with  four  eggs  on  the 
ground  on  a  railroad  embankment  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ;  May  15,  1903, 
Trumbull,  twin  nest  on  girder  in  a  barn,  one  containing  four  eggs 
of  Robin,  the  other  five  deserted  eggs  of  Phoebe  (Beers)  ;  May 
7,  1907,  Portland,  nest  in  old  Flicker's  hole  (J.  H.  S.)- 

Partial  albinos  are  quite  common,  having  been  noted  a  num- 
ber of  times  in  New  Haven  by  L.  B.  B.,  and  in  Portland  by 
J.  H.  S. 

The  Robin  has  been  heard  singing  as  late  as  Oct.  29  (1895) 
by  L.  B.  B. 

Sialia  sialis  sialis  (Linnaeus).     Bluebird. 

An  abundant  summer  and  common  winter  resident;  migrants 
arriving  early  in  March  and  leaving  in  October  and  November. 

Earliest  record.1  New  Haven,  March  6,  1894,  March  4,  1901, 
1906  (A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  March  2,  1900. 

Latest  record.1  New  Haven,  Nov.  25,  1903,  Nov.  26,  1906 
(A.  A.  S.)  ;  Portland,  Nov.  27,  1889. 

Winter  records.  This  species  has  been  recorded  in  January, 
February,  or  December,  in  New  Haven,  1882,  1883,  1884,  1886, 
1888,  1889,  1896,  1898,  1900,  1901,  1902,  1903,  1904  (L.  B.  B.)  ; 
1887  (L.  B.  W.)  ;  1906  (E.  S.  W.) ;  1907,  1908,  1909,  1910  (D. 
B.  P.)  ;  in  Portland,  1861,  1871,  1874,  1877,  1878,  1880,  1881, 


1  Migrants. 


No.    2O.]  THE    BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  l8l 


1882,  1883,  1884,  1886,  iSQO,  1891,  1893,  1895,  1896,  1898,  1901, 

1903,  1905,  1907,  1908,  1909,  1910,  1911  (J.  H.  S.). 

Nest.  In  a  box  or  natural  hole  in  a  tree,  or  in  the  deserted 
home  of  a  woodpecker  ;  usually  in  an  orchard  but  occasionally  in 
deep  woods;  3^2  to  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs.     3-7,  usually  4  or  5;  the  last  of  April. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  April  12,  1898,  seven  eggs 
(Hill).  Latest  record.  July  8,  1882,  three  eggs  (L.  B.  B.). 

White  eggs  have  several  times  been  found  ;  e.  g.,  May  30, 
1876,  Essex,  four  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  July  8,  1882,  Guilford,  three  (L. 
B.  B.)  ;  May  23,  1892,  Stamford  (Rowell)  ;  April  28,  1898,  New- 
town,  four  (Canfield). 

Although  the  Bluebird  was  almost  exterminated  in  the  winter 
of  1895  by  the  long  continued  cold  weather  in  the  South,  and  was 
consequently  very  rare  that  summer  and  in  1896,  yet  it  had 
regained  its  former  abundance  by  1898. 

This  species  while  wintering  has  been  found  inside  of  a  stack 
of  hay,  Feb.  22,  1886  (L.  B.  B.),  in  an  old  Robin's  nest,  Feb.  u, 
1882  (L.  B.  B.),  March  31,  1906  (E.  S.  W.  and  L.  B.  B.),  in 
a  hollow  post  in  mid-winter,  about  1883  (Augur).  It  probably 
chooses  such  sheltered  places  in  which  to  pass  the  nights. 

This  species  has  been  heard  singing  as  early  as  Feb.  28  (1883), 
and  as  late  as  Oct.  22  (1892),  by  L.  B.  B. 

A  male  Bluebird  of  a  brilliant  cobalt-blue,  like  Florida  speci- 
mens, was  taken  April  13,  1901,  New  Haven,  by  L.  B.  B. 


APPENDICES  TO  PART  I. 


i.  CATALOGUE  OF  INTRODUCED  SPECIES  AND 
DOUBTFUL  SPECIES. 

Chenalopex  aegyptiaca  (Linnseus).     Egyptian  Goose. 

Two  were  seen  flying  about  the  Connecticut  river,  at  Portland, 
Oct.  20,  1895,  and  one  was  shot.  Both  were  undoubtedly  escaped 
tame  birds ;  but  they  must  have  come  from  a  distance,  as  none, 
so  far  as  is  known,  were  ever  kept  within  twenty  miles  of  Port- 
land. 

Grus  americana  (Linnaeus).    Whooping  Crane. 

Grus  mexicana  (Miiller).     Sandhill  Crane. 

Though  these  species  are  reported  by  many  of  the  earlier 
writers  on  Natural  History  as  more  or  less  common  in  the  sur- 
rounding states,  there  seems  to  be  no  definite  record  of  the  cap- 
ture of  either  in  Connecticut.  Undoubtedly  both  occurred  when 
the  country  was  discovered,  but  there  is  little  probability  that 
either  has  been  taken  within  the  last  hundred  years. 

Erolia  ferruginea  (Briinnich).     Curlew  Sandpiper. 

There  are  but  two  records  of  this  species  in  this  state,  both 
appearing  in  Merriam  :l  one  shot  near  Saybrook  "  some  time 
ag°"  (J-  G.  Ely,  1877),  and  one  killed  Oct.  3,  1859,  East  Hart- 
ford (reported  by  Dr.  D.  Crary  of  Hartford).  Neither  of  these 
records  can  be  considered  absolutely  trustworthy. 

The  record  of  Dr.  Thompson,  as  reported  by  Merriam,  was 
proven  later  by  L.  C.  S.  to  be  that  of  a  Stilt  Sandpiper. 

Coturnix  coturnix  (Linnaeus).  European  Quail.  Migratory 
Quail. 

Numbers  of  these  birds  were  liberated  in  1878,  at  Lakeville, 
by  the  Salisbury  Bird  and  Fish  Protective  Company.  They  nested 

1Merriam,   Birds  of  Connecticut,  p.    106. 

183 


184  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

that  year  and  also  in  1879,  but  so  far  as  we  know  none  are  now 
to  be  found. 

Perdix  perdix  (Linnaeus).    Gray  Partridge. 

During  1908  and  1909  about  3,000  birds  of  this  species  were 
imported  from  Europe  by  our  Game  Commission  and  released 
in  different  parts  of  Connecticut,  and  a  large  number  in  I9IO.1  As 
the  majority  brought  to  the  United  States  came  from  Hungary, 
this  bird  has  become  commonly  known  as  the  Hungarian  Part- 
ridge. 

During  1909  a  number  were  reported  to  have  mated  and  raised 
young,  but  the  majority  seem  to  have  disappeared.  However, 
it  is  yet  too  soon  to  pronounce  on  the  success  of  this  attempt  at 
introducing  a  foreign  game-bird  into  our  state. 

Tympanuchus  cupido  (Linnaeus).    Heath  Hen. 

Abundant  in  dry,  bushy  places  in  southern  New  England  in 
the  days  of  the  first  white  settlers,  this  species  had  been  extermi- 
nated in  Connecticut  before  the  time  of  Linsley,  but  was  reported 
to  be  still  found  in  "  shrubby  barrens  in  Westf ord,  Connecticut," 
by  Nuttall,2  who  wrote  some  ten  years  earlier. 

Phasianus  colchicus  (Linnaeus).     English  Pheasant. 

Phasianus  torquatus  Gmelin.    Ring  Pheasant. 

Numbers  of  both  these  Pheasants  were  liberated  by  sportsmen 
at  various  places  in  Connecticut  at  different  times  between  1890 
and  1900;  but  none  of  them  seems  to  have  succeeded  in  becoming 
acclimated,  and  almost  all  have  disappeared. 

The  only  records  are:  June  2,  1897,  New  Haven,  one  flushed 
(L.  B.  B.)  ;  Dec.  27,  1901,  Gaylordsville,  one  female  found, 
apparently  killed  by  a  hawk  (E.  H.  A.)  ;  fall,  1904,  some  reported 
seen  in  the  Connecticut  valley  (according  to  J.  E.  Bassett). 

Meleagris  gallopavo  silvestris  (Viellot).    Wild  Turkey. 

With  a  history  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Heath  Hen, 
and  probably  originally  much  more  common  over  most  of  Con- 
necticut, the  Wild  Turkey  disappeared  about  the  same  date. 

Linsley  states :  "  The  last  wild  turkey  that  I  have  known  in 
Connecticut,  was  taken  by  a  relative  of  mine,  about  thirty  years 
since,  on  Totoket  Mountain,  in  Northford.  It  was  overtaken  in 

5  Oldys,  Yearbook  Dept.  Agriculture  for  1909,  "pp.  255-6. 

•Manual  of  the  Ornithology  of  the  United  States  and  of  Canada  —  the  Land 
Birds,  1832,  p.  662. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  185 

a  deep  snow,  and  thereby  outrun.  It  weighed,  when  dressed, 
twenty-one  pounds."1 

Sturnus  vulgaris  Linnaeus.     Starling. 

An  increasingly  common  resident. 

This  species  was  introduced  into  New  York  City  in  1890, 
whence  it  has  spread  from  Central  Park  through  the  neighboring 
country.  It  is  constantly  increasing  in  numbers,  and  is  now 
firmly  established  through  various  parts  of  the  state,  especially 
along  the  coast. 

Its  spread  may  be  shown  by  the  following  records  of  its  first 
occurrence:  June  10,  1900,  Norwalk  (Ells),2  also  winter,  1900-1 ; 
Aug.  25,  1900,  Stamford  (Smith,  reported  by  Hoyt)  ;  Dec.  3, 
1900,  North  Haven  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  Jan.,  1901,  reported  from  Noro- 
ton,  Stamford,  and  Norwalk;  Oct.,  1901,  New  Haven  (A.  A. 
S.)  ;2  winter,  1902-3,  New  Haven,  five  or  six  wintered;  winter. 
1903-4,  about  forty  wintered;  fall,  1906,  flock  of  about  1500  seen 
(A.  A.  S.  )  ;  Jan.,  1904,  Bridgeport  (Eames)  ;  spring,  1906, 
Wethersfield  (Morgan)  ;2  March,  1906,  Danbury  (J.  C.  A.  M.)  ; 
1906,  New  London  and  Stonington  (Buttrick)  ;  April,  1907, 
Bethel  (Judd)  ;2  June,  1907,  Middletown  (Cady)  ;  1908,  Port- 
land (J.  H.  S.).  ' 

Since  these  records,  they  have  increased  very  rapidly  and  are 
breeding  in  large  numbers.  Mrs.  Bonner  writes  from  Stamford  :3 
"  They  have  appropriated  not  only  all  the  holes  in  the  old  apple 
trees,  including  those  stolen  from  the  Bluebirds  by  the  English 
Sparrows,  but  also  the  holes  in  all  the  big  lawn  trees,  hitherto 
occupied  by  Flickers,  etc."  It  is  not  yet  numerous  in  the  interior 
of  the  state. 

Nest.    In  a  hollow  of  some  sort,  or  in  a  church  steeple. 

Eggs.    4-6;  the  last  of  April. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  May  5,  1904,  six  young 
(Perry);  May  2,  1910,  three  eggs  (J.  H.  S.).  Latest  record. 
July  n,  1904,  two  young  (L.  B.  B.). 

Carduelis  carduelis  (Linnaeus).    European  Goldfinch. 
G.  E.  Verrill  of  New  Haven  writes  in  the  Auk,  ix,  3,  p.  301 : 
"  On  May  9,  1892,  I  took  a  very  full-plumaged  male  European 

i  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut,  Am.  Jeur.  Sci.  and  Arts,  xliv,  2,  p.  264, 

1843- 

*  Bird-Lore,  ix,   5,  pp.   207-9. 
3  Bird-Lore,   ix,    4,   p.    171. 


l86  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Goldfinch  in  an  orchard  near  here.  The  bird  was  in  full  song, 
and  did  not  bear  any  evidence  of  having  been  in  captivity,  as  it 
was  not  particularly  tame;  the  plumage  was  perfect,  even  to  the 
tips  of  the  tail  feathers,  and  the  legs  and  feet  were  those  of  a 
wild  bird.  It  seems  to  me  probable  that  it  was  a  straggler  from 
some  of  the  localities  where  they  have  been  introduced  and  have 
become  naturalized,  as  I  have  never  seen  any  near  here  before." 

This  is  the  only  published  record  of  this  species  in  this  state. 

This  specimen  is  now  in  the  Peabody  Museum.  It  was  prob- 
ably a  wanderer  from  a  small  colony  in  Central  Park,  New 
York  City. 

Passer  domesticus  (Linnaeus).    English  Sparrow. 

"  Introduced  into  Boston  by  the  city  government  in  1868  "/ 
by  1877  the  English  Sparrow  was  "  an  abundant  resident  in  all 
the  larger  and  most  of  the  smaller  towns  throughout  the  state 
(Connecticut).2 

An  abundant  resident  of  the  cities,  villages,  and  farms,  having 
driven  Martins  and  Bluebirds  and  Eave  Swallows  from  their  nest- 
ing sites,  as  well  as  routing  out  other  species  by  its  warlike  habits. 

Nest.  Breeds  in  any  hole  it  can  find,  in  martin-boxes,  in  holes 
in  trees,  or  in  buildings.  Wanting  these,  it  will  occupy  a  Cliff  Swal- 
low's or  Eave  Swallow's  nest,  or  build  rough  nests  behind  window 
blinds,  in  ivy  on  buildings,  or  in  trees.  Occasionally  it  adopts  the 
habit  of  woodpeckers,  chipping  out  a  hole  for  itself  in  a  tree  after 
it  has  been  started  by  a  woodpecker  (e.  g.,  March  21,  1910, 
L.  B.  B.). 

Eggs.  4-6;  early  in  April,  and  successively  throughout  the 
summer. 

Nesting  dates.  Earliest  record.  March  28,  1898,  five  eggs 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).  Latest  record.  July  6,  1891,  five  eggs  (J.  C. 
A.  M.). 

A  set  of  five  white  eggs  was  taken,  May  22,  1889,  New  Haven, 
by  C.  F.  Hedges,  where  another  set  had  been  found  in  the  previ- 
ous year. 

Partial  albinos  are  quite  common,  especially  among  young 
birds. 


1  Baird,  Brewer  &  Ridgway,  Birds  of  North  America,  i,  p.  526. 
2Merriam,  Birds  of  Connecticut,  p.  40. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  187 

Courting  antics  have  been  noticed  as  early  (or  late)  as  Dec. 

24,  1903  (L.  B.  B.). 

New  Haven,  Dec.  10,  1900,  male  with  lower  mandible  gone  and 
upper  grown  to  a  remarkable  length,  taken  (A.  H.  V.,  in  coll.  of 
L.  B.  B.). 

Guiraca  caerulea  caerulea  (Linnaeus).     Blue  Grosbeak. 

Connecticut  records:  May  9,  1902,  Bethel,  male  seen  in  an 
orchard  (Hamlin)  ;  summer,  1903,  New  Canaan,  one  seen  (Mrs. 
Neide,  recorded  by  Hoyt). 

Vermivora  lawrencei  (Herrick).     Lawrence's  Warbler. 

Vermivora  leucobronchialis  (Brewster).  Brewster's  War- 
bler. 

Although  it  seems  now  beyond  question  that  the  birds  called 
by  these  names  are  not  independent  species,  it  has  not  yet  been 
conclusively  shown  whether  they  are  hybrids  between  Vermivora 
pinus  and  V.  chrysoptera,  or  phases  of  plumage  of  these  species. 
Brewster's  Warbler  completely  intergrades  with  the  Blue-winged, 
while  males  at  least  of  Lawrence's  show  usually  little  variation 
jn  plumage.  As  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  specimens  of  these 
puzzling  birds  so  far  reported  were  taken  in  Connecticut,  we  have 
tried  to  give  here  a  summary  of  these  records  with  the  addition 
of  others.  Brewster's  Warbler  is  much  the  more  common. 

Vermivora  lawrencei.  Greenwich,  July  12,  1893,  female 
taken,  with  young  in  first  plumage,  by  C.  G.  Voorhees.1  Stam- 
ford, May  12,  1886,  male  taken,  May  23,  1888,  female  taken,  May 

25,  1888,  male  taken  (W.  H.  H.,  last  two  in  coll.  of  L.  H.  P.)  ; 
May  25,  1905,  male  taken  (L.  B.  B.).    Greenfield  Hills,  May  31, 
1906,  male  seen   (E.  S.  W.).     Danbury,  1900   (?),  male  taken 
(J.  C.  A.  M.).    Bridgeport,  May  16,  1889,  male  taken,  spring  of 
1891,  three  seen,  seven  seen  in  one  spring2  (E.  H.  E.).     New 
Haven,  May  21,  1888,  female  taken,  May  13,  1891,  male  taken 
(H.  W.  F.,  these  in  coll.  of  W.  Brewster)  ;  May  17,  1892,  male 
taken  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May  15,  1896,  male  taken,  May  21,  1902, 
female,  intermediate  with  V .  chrysoptera  mated  with  a  male  V. 
pinus,  taken  (A.  H.  V.,  all  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  13.  21, 
1898,  two  males  taken  (A.  H.  V.)  ;  May  20,  1896,  male  taken, 

lAuk,  xi,  i,  pp.  259-60. 
,  x,  i,  p.  89. 


1 88  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

May  n,  1900,  male  taken,  intermediate  with  V.  chrysoptera,  May 
10,  1904,  male  taken,  May  31,  1905,  male  taken,  May  24,  1906, 
male  taken,  May  20,  1909,  male  taken  (these  three  within  space 
of  300  yards),  June  4,  1909,  male  taken  with  mate  female  V. 
pinus,  and  four  eggs  and  two  Cowbird's  eggs,  May  21,  1912,  male 
taken  (L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  29,  1906,  male  seen  (J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  and 
L.  B.  B.).  Portland,  May  14,  1887,  May  16,  1894,  May  10,  1895, 
three  males  taken  (S.  R.,  all  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.). 

Vermivora  leucobronchialis.  Wauregan  (Plainfield),  May 
25,  1875,  male  taken  (C.  M.  Carpenter).1  Suffield,  July  3,  1875, 
male  taken  (E.  I.  Shores).2  Saybrook,  May  30,  1879,  male 
taken,3  spring  of  1880,  one  seen,4  May  13,  1888,  one  seen,  May 
8,  1889,  one  taken,5  frequently  seen  and  taken  and  nest  found 
(J.  N.  C).  Stamford,  May  20,  1893,  male  taken  (L.  H.  P.). 
Bridgeport,  June  14,  1892,  male  seen  mated  with  V .  pinus,  nest 
contained  four  eggs,  two  of  which  were  Cowbird's  (E.  H.  E.)  ;6 
fifteen  males  seen  between  Bridgeport  and  Seymour,  spring  of 
1889  (E.  H.  E.)  ;  Seymour,  May  26,  29,  male  taken,  June  i,  4, 
10,  two,  June  19,  July  7,  1888,  seen  (E.  H.  E.).7  Milford,  June  2, 
1903,  female  taken  with  six  eggs  and  one  Cowbird's  egg  (J.  C. 
A.  M.,  female  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.).  Deep  River,  May  18,  1880, 
female  taken.8  New  Haven,  May  19,  1885,  male  taken  (H.  W. 
F.,  in  coll.  of  J.  H.  S.),  May  15,  1888,  one  seen,  May  16.  1892, 
male  taken,  May  17,  1892,  two  males  taken,  May  12,  1893,  male 
taken  (H.  W.  F.)  ;  May,  1894,  male  taken  (W.  C.  Morgan)  ; 
May  14,  1896,  male  taken,  May  28,  1898,  female  taken,  mated 
with  V.  pinus,  and  five  eggs,  May  19,  1902,  male  taken  (A.  H. 
V.,  all  in  coll.  of  L.  B.  B.)  ;  May  (?),  1905,  male  taken  (E.  S. 
W.)  ;  May  8-31,  1893,  1894,  1896,  1898,  1900,  1902,  1904,  1905, 
1906,  and  1910,  nineteen  males  taken,  one  mated  with  V.  pinus, 
July  4,  1893,  female  taken  with  two  young,  slightly  paler  yellow 
than  V.  pinus,  May  24,  1904,  female  taken,  June  10,  1904,  female 

1  Bull.  Nuttall  Orn.  Club,  iii,  2,  p.  99. 

2  Bull.  Nuttall  Orn.  Club,  iii,  4,  pp.   199-200. 
3 Bull.  Nuttall  Orn.  Club,  iv,  3,  p.  184. 

4 Random  Notes  on  Natural  Hist.,  ii,  6,  p.   43. 

50.  and  O.,  xiv,  8,  p  119. 

6 Auk,  x,  i,  pp.  89-90. 

7 Auk,  v,  4,  pp.  427-428. 

%Auk,  i,  i,  p.  91.  ; 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  189 

taken  with  four  young  dead  in  the  nest,  Sept.  12,  1907,  young 
male  taken,  May  24,  1912,  female  taken  (L.  B.  B.).  Portland, 
May  22,  1875,  male  taken  (W.  W.  C.),1  May  31,  1886,  May  26, 
1887,  males  taken,  May  10,  1888,  male  taken  and  another  seen, 
June  10,  1889,  May  24,  1890,  May  15,  1891,  males  taken,  June 
13,  1891,  one  seen,  May  13,  17,  1892,  two  males  taken,  May  30, 
June  2-15,  1893,  one  seen,  May  10,  12,  1894,  three  males  taken, 
May  25,  30,  June  n,  1894,  four  males  seen,,  June  23,  1894,  female 
taken  mated  with  V.  chrysoptera,  and  four  eggs,  May  13,  1895, 
male  taken,  May  23,  30,  1896,  May  13,  15,  17,  1899,  May  14, 
1900,  May  12,  1901,  seen,  May  7,  1902,  male  taken,  May  30,  1903, 
May  1  8,  1907,  seen,  June  6,  1908,  male  taken  (S.  R.  and  J.  H.  S.)  ; 
May  27,  1904,  male  taken  (L.  B.  B.).  Waterbury,  May  9,  1909, 
one  seen  (N.  B.  Pillery).2 

Dr.  Eames  has  found  this  bird  mated  with  V  .  pinus  alone,  and 
has  found  nests  and  watched  the  young  develop  into  same 
plumages  as  the  Juvenal  of  V.  pinus. 

Turdus  pilaris   (Linnaeus).     Fieldfare. 

Accidental. 

The  only  Connecticut  record  is  that  of  a  specimen  taken  near 
Stamford  in  April,  i878,3  by  Schaler,  who  states  that  its  actions 
were  those  of  a  wild  bird.  This  specimen  is  now  in  the  collection 
of  Hoyt,  and  from  the  condition  of  its  plumage  and  feet  had 
certainly  not  been  recently  in  captivity. 


/.  Nuttall  Orn.  Club,  iv,  3,  p.   184. 

2  Bird-Lore,  xii,  2,  pp.   78-9. 

3  O.  and  O.,  xiv,  3,  p.  44.      (The  date  here  is  incorrect.) 


190 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


2.     STATISTICAL  SUMMARY. 


RESIDENTS. 


Gavia  immer1 

Anas  rubripes 

Marila  marila1 

Mania  affinis1 

Harelda  hyemalis1 

Charitonetta  albeola1 

Oidemia   deglandi1 

Oidemia  perspicillata1 

Botaurus  lentiginosus2 

Rallus  crepitans  crepitans2 

Philohela  minor2 

Gallinago  delicata8 

Oxyechus  vociferus8 

Colinus  virginianus  virginianus 

Bonasa  umbellus  umbellus 

Bonasa  umbellus  togata 

Zenaidura  macroura  carolinensis2 

Circus  hudsonius 

Accipiter  velox 

Accipiter  cooperi 

Astur  atricapillus  atricapillus1 

Buteo  borealis  borealis 

Buteo  lineatus  lineatus 

Hali^etus  leucocephalus 

leucocephalus 
Falco  peregrinus  anatum8 
Falco  sparverius  sparverius 
Aluco  pratincola3 
Asio  wilsonianus 
Asio  flammeus3 
Strix  varia  varia 
Cryptoglaux  acadica  acadica1 
Otus  asio  asio 
Bubo  virginianus  virginianus 
Ceryle  alcyon2 
Dryobates  villosus  villosns 
Dryobates  pubescens  medianus 
Sphyrapicus  varius  varius3 
Phloeotomus  pileatus  abieticola* 
Melanerpes  erythrocephalus2 


Colaptes  auratus  luteus2 
Sayornis  phoebe2 
Otocoris  alpestris  praticola 
Cyanocitta  cristata  cristata 
Corvus  brachyrhynchos 

brachyrhynchos 
Corvus  ossifragus2 
Molothrus  ater  ater2 
Agelaius  phoeniceus  phceniceus2 
Sturnella  magna  magna 
Quiscalus  quiscula  asneus3 
Carpodacus  purpureus  purpureus2 
Astragalinus  tristis  tristis 
Pocecetes  gramineus  gramineus2 
Passerculus  sandwichensis  savanna2 
Passerherbulus   caudacutus2 
Passerherbulus  maritimus 

maritimus2 

Zonotrichia  albicollis3 
Spizella  pusilla  pusilla2 
Junco  hyemalis  hyemalis1 
Melospiza  melodia  melodia 
Melospiza  georgiana2 
Pipilo   erythrophthalmus 

erythrophthalmus2 
Iridoprocne   bicolor2 
Bombycilla  cedrorum 
Lanius  ludovicianus  migrans1 
Dumetella  carolinensis2 
Toxostoma  rufum2 
Thryothorus  ludovicianus 

ludovicianus 

Nannus  hiemalis  hiemalis8 
Telmatodytes  palustris  palustris2 
Sitta  carolinensis  carolinensis 
Sitta  canadensis1 

Penthestes  atricapillus  atricapillus 
Hylocichla  guttata  pallasi8 
Planesticus  migratorius  migratorius 
Sialia  sialis  sialis 


JRare  or  accidental  in  summer. 
2Rare  or  accidental  in  winter. 


3  Rare  or  accidental  both  in  summer  and'in 
winter. 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


Phasianus  colchicus 
Phasianus  torquatus 
Perdix  perdix 


Sturnus  vulgaris 
Passer  domesticus 


SUMMER  RESIDENTS. 


Podilymbus  podiceps 

Sterna  hirundo 

Sterna   dougalli 

Aix  sponsa 

Ixobrychus  exilis 

Ardea  herodias  herodias 

Butorides  virescens  virescens 

Nycticorax  nycticorax  nsevius 

Rallus  elegans 

Rallus   virginianus 

Porzana  Carolina 

Creciscus  jamaicensis 

Bartramia  longicauda 

Actitis  macularia 

Ectopistes  migratorius2 

Buteo  platypterus 

Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis 

Coccyzus  americanus  americanus 

Coccyzus  erythrophthalmus 

Antrostomus  vociferus  vociferus 

Chordeiles  virginianus  virginianus 

Chastura  pelagica 

Archilochus   colubris 

Tyrannus  tyrannus 

Myiarchus  crinitus 

Nuttallornis  borealis 

Myiochanes  virens 

Empidonax  virescens 

Empidonax  trailli  alnorum 

Empidonax  minimus 

Dolichonyx  oryzivorus 

Icterus  spurius 

Icterus  galbula 

Quiscalus  quiscula  quiscula 

Ammodramus  savannarum 

australis 
Passerherbulus  henslowi  henslowi 


Spizella  passerina  passerina 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana 

Passerina  cyanea 

Spiza  americana2 

Piranga  erythromelas 

Progne  subis  subis 

Petrochelidon  lunifrons  lunifrons 

Hirundo  erythrogastra 

Riparia  riparia 

Stelgidopteryx  serripennis 

Vireosylva  olivacea 

Vireosylva  gilva  gilva 

Lanivireo  flavifrons 

Lanivireo  solitarius  solitarius 

Vireo  griseus  griseus 

Mniotilta  varia 

Helmitheros  vermivorus 

Vermivora  pinus 

Vermivora  chrysoptera 

Vermivora  rubricapilla  rubricapilla 

Compsothlypis  americana  usneae 

Dendroica    aestiva   sestiva 

Dendroica  cserulescens  cserulescens 

Dendroica  magnolia 

Dendroica  pensylvanica 

Dendroica  fusca 

Dendroica  virens 

Dendroica  vigorsi 

Dendroica  discolor 

Seiurus  aurocapillus 

Seiurus  motacilla 

Oporornis  formosus 

Geothlypis  trichas  trichas 

Icteria  virens  virens 

Wilsonia  citrina 

Wilsonia  canadensis 

Setophaga  ruticilla 


Besides  those  included  in  list  of  residents. 
2  Extinct  in  Connecticut. 


CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Mimus  polyglottos  polyglottos 
Troglodytes  aedon  aedon 
Cistothorus  stellaris 


Hylocichla  mustelina 

Hylocichla   fuscescens   fuscescens 


WINTER  RESIDENTS. 


Colymbus  holboelli 

Colymbus  auritus 

Gavia  stellata 

Larus  marinus 

Larus  argentatus 

Mergus  americanus 

Mergus   serrator 

Anas  platyrhynchos 

Mareca  americana 

Nettion  carolinense 

Marila  americana 

Clangula  clangula  americana 

Branta    canadensis    canadensis 

Branta  bernicla  glaucogastra 

Arquatella  maritima  maritima 

Totanus  melanoleucus 

Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johannis 

Haliseetus  leucocephalus 

alascanus 
Falco  columbarius  columbarius 


Nyctea  nyctea 

Otocoris  alpestris  alpestris 

Otocoris  alpestris  hoyti 

Pinicola  enucleator  leucura 

Loxia  curvirostra  minor 

Loxia  leucoptera 

Acanthis  linaria  linaria 

Spinus   pinus 

Plectrophenax    nivalis    nivalis 

Calcarius   lapponicus  lapponicus 

Passerculus  princeps 

Spizella  monticola  monticola 

Passerella  iliaca  iliaca 

Lanius  borealis 

Dendroica  coronata 

Dendroica  palmarum  hypochrysea 

Anthus  rubescens 

Certhia  familiaris  americana 

Regulus  satrapa  satrapa 


PERIODICAL  VISITORS.* 


Podilymbus  podiceps 
Larus  delawarensis 
Larus  Philadelphia 
Phalacrocorax   carbo 
Phalacrocorax  auritus  auritus 
Lophodytes  cucullatus 
Anas  platyrhynchos 
Anas  rubripes 
Mareca  americana 
Nettion  carolinense 
Querquedula  discors 
Dafila  acuta 
Aix  sponsa 
Marila  americana 
Marila  marila 


Marila  affinis 
Oidemia  americana 
Oidemia  deglandi 
Oidemia  perspicillata 
Erismatura  jamaicensis 
Branta  canadensis  canadensis 
Branta  bernicla  glaucogastra 
Botaurus  lentiginosus 
Ixobrychus  exilis 
Ardea  herodias  herodias 
Rail  us  virginianus 
Porzana  Carolina 
Coturnicops   noveboracensis 
Gallinula  galeata 
Fulica  americana 


1  Besides  those  included  in  list  of  residents. 

a  Species  occurring  chiefly   in  the  spring  or   fall   migration.     A   number   of   the 
names  in  this  list  are  included  also  in  the  previous  lists. 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


193 


Philohela  minor 

Gallinago   delicata 

Macrorhamphus  griseus  griseus 

Arquatella  maritima  maritima 

Pisobia   maculata 

Pisobia  fuscicollis 

Pisobia  minutilla 

Pelidna  alpina  sakhalina 

Ereunetes  pusillus 

Calidris  leucophsea 

Totanus   melanoleucus 

Totanus   flavipes 

Helodromas  solitarius  solitaries 

Bartramia  longicauda 

Numenius   hudsonicus 

Squatarola    squatarola 

Charadrius   dominicus  dominicus 

Oxyechus  vociferus 

^gialitis  semipalmata 

yEgialitis  meloda 

Arenaria  interpres  morinella 

Ectopistes  migratorius1 

Circus  hudsonius 

Accipiter  velox 

Accipiter  cooperi 

Buteo  borealis  borealis 

Buteo  platypterus 

Haliseetus  leucocephalus 

leucocephalus 
Falco  peregrinus  anatum 
Falco  columbarius  columbarius 
Falco  sparverius  sparverius 
Pandion    haliaetus   carolinensis 
Asio   flammeus 
Sphyrapicus  varius  varius 
Melanerpes   erythrocephalus 
Colaptes  auratus  luteus 
Chordeiles  virginianus  virginianus 
Nuttallornis  borealis 
Empidonax  flaviventris 
Empidonax  trailli  alnorum 
Euphagus  carolinus* 
Quiscalus  quiscula  rsneus 
Carpodacus  purpureus  purpureus 
Spinus  pinus 
Plectrophenax  nivalis  nivalis 

1  Probably  extinct. 
13 


Calcarius  lapponicus  lapponicus 

Passerculus  princeps 

Passerculus  sandwichensis  savanna 

Passerherbulus  nelsoni  nelsoni 

Passerherbulus  nelsoni  subvirgatus 

Zonotrichia  leucophrys   leucophrys 

Zonotrichia  albicollis 

Junco  hyemalis  hyemalis 

Melospiza  lincolni  lincolni 

Melospiza  georgiana 

Passerella  iliaca   iliaca 

Petrochelidon  lunifrons  lunifrons 

Iridoprocne  bicolor 

Riparia  riparia 

Lanius    ludovicianus    migrans 

Vireosylva  philadelphica 

Lanivireo  solitarius  solitarius 

Mniotilta  varia 

Vermivora   rubricapilla  rubricapilla 

Vermivora  celata  celata 

Vermivora  peregrina 

Compsothlypis  americana  usneae 

Dendroica  tigrina 

Dendroica   cserulescens  caerulescens 

Dendroica  coronata 

Dendroica  magnolia 

Dendroica  castanea 

Dendroica  striata 

Dendroica  fusca 

Dendroica  virens 

Dendroica  vigorsi 

Dendroica  palmarum  palmarum 

Dendroica  palmarum  hypochrysea 

Seiurus  noveboracensis 

noveboracensis 

Seiurus  noveboracensis  notabilis 
Oporornis  agilis 
Oporornis  Philadelphia 
Wilsonia  pusilla  pusilla 
Wilsonia  canadensis 
Anthus  rubescens 
Nannus  hiemalis  hiemalis 
Certhia    familiaris    americana 
Sitta  canadensis 
Regulus  satrapa  satrapa 


194 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Regulus  calendula  calendula 
Hylocichla  alicias  alicise 
Hylocichla  aliciae  bicknelli 

ACCIDENTAL  VISITORS. 


Hylocichla  ustulata  swainsoni 
Hylocichla  guttata  pallasi 


Cepphus  grylle 

Uria  lomvia  lomvia 

Alca  torda 

Alle  alle 

Stercorarius  parasiticus 

Stercorarius  longicaudus 

Rissa   tridactyla  tridactyla 

Larus  leucopterus 

Larus  kumlieni 

Larus  atricilla 

Sterna  paradisaea 

Sterna   antillarum 

Sterna  fuscata 

Hydrochelidon    nigra    surinamensis 

Rynchops  nigra 

Fulmarus  glacialis  glacialis 

Puffinus  gravis 

Oceanodroma  leucorhoa 

Oceanites  oceanicus 

Sula  leucogastra 

Sula  bassana 

Pelecanus  occidentalis 

Fregata  aquila 

Chaulelasmus  streperus 

Spatula  clypeata 

Marila  valisineria 

Marila  collaris 

Clangula  islandica 

Histrionicus  histrionicus 

Camptorhynchus  labradorius1 

Somateria  dresseri 

Somateria  spectabilis 

Chen  hyperboreus  nivalis 

Branta  canadensis  hutchinsi 

Olor  columbianus 

Guara  alba 

Plegadis  autumnalis 

Herodias  egretta 

Egretta  candidissima  candidissima 

Florida  caerulea 


Crex  crex 

lonornis  martinicus 

Phalaropus  fulicarius 

Lobipes  lobatus 

Steganopus  tricolor 

Recurvirostra  americana 

Macrorhamphus  griseus  scolopaceus 

Micropalama  himantopus 

Tringa  canutus 

Pisobia  bairdi 

Ereunetes  mauri 

Limosa  fedoa 

Limosa  hsemastica 

Catoptrophorus   semipalmatus 

semipalnratus 
Catoptrophorus   semipalmatus 

inornatus 

Tryngites  subruficollis 
Numenius  americanus 
Numenius  borealis2 
Ochthodromus   wilsonius 
Haematopus  palliatus 
Cathartes  aura  septentrionalis 
Catharista  urubu 
Elanoides  forficatus 
Aquila  chrysaetos 
Falco  rusticolus  obsoletus 
Scotiaptex  nebulosa  nebulosa 
Cryptoglaux  funerea  richardsoni 
Surnia  ulula  caparoch 
Picoides  arcticus 
Centurus  carolinus 
Antrostomus  carolinensis 
Muscivora  forficata 
Corvus  corax  principalis 
Xanthocephalus   xanthocephalus 
Agelaius  phceniceus  fortis 
Hesperiphona  vespertina 

vespertina 
Acanthis  hornemanni  exilipes 


JExtinct. 

2  Possibly  extinct. 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


195 


Acanthis  linaria  rostrata 
Cardinalis    cardinalis    cardinalis 
Piranga  ludoviciana 
Piranga  rubra  rubra 
Bombycilla  garrula 
Protonotaria  citrea 


Residents, 
Summer  Residents, 
Winter  Residents, 


Dendroica  cerulea 

Mimus  polyglottos  polyglottos 

Baeolophus  bicolor 

Penthestes  hudsonicus  hudsonicus 

Polioptila  cserulea  caerulea 

Hylocichla  fuscescens  salicicola 


RECAPITULATION 

80  Transient  Visitors, 


78 
38 


Accidental  Visitors, 
Total, 


124 


3341 


1  Including  5  introduced  species.     In  this  total  each  name  is  counted  only  once. 


196 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


3.  LIST  OF  OBSERVERS  REFERRED  TO  BY  INITIALS 
OR   BY  SURNAMES. 


Initials 

C.  K.  A. 
C.  K.  A.,  Jr. 
E.  H.  A. 
H.  W.  B. 
L.  B.  B. 
J.  N.  C. 
W.  I.  C. 
W.  W.  C. 
E.  H.  E. 
H.  W.  F. 
A.  J.  G. 
H.  T.  G. 
A.  W.  H. 
C.  C.  H. 
C.  G.  H. 
C.  R.  H. 
G.  L.  H. 
J.  H.  H. 
P.  B.  H. 
S.  T.  H. 
W.  H.  H. 
H.  K.  J. 
C.  E.  L. 
J.  C.  A.  M. 
C.  H.  N. 

C.  H.  P. 

D.  B.  P. 
L.  .H.  P. 
C.  L.  R. 
S.  R. 

A.  A.  S. 
J.  H.  S. 
L.   C.   S. 
C.  C.  T. 
W.  E.  T. 
A.  E.  V. 
A.  H.  V. 

*  Deceased. 


Name 

C.  K.  Averill 

C.  K.  Averill 

E.  H.  Austin 

H.  W.  Beers 

Dr.  L.  B.  Bishop 

*J.  N.  Clark 

W.  I.  Comstock 

*W.  W.  Coe 

Dr.  E.  H.  Eames 

H.  W.  Flint 

A.  J.  Granniss 

H.  T.  Gates 

A.  W.  Honeywill,  Jr. 

C.  C.   Hanmer 

C.  G.  Hart 

C.  R.  Hooker 

G.  L.  Hamlin 

J.  H.  Hill 

P.  B.  Haines 

*S.  T.  Holbrook 

W.  H.  Hoyt 

Rev.  H.  K.  Job 

*C.  E.  Lincoln 

J.  C.  A.  Meeker 

*C.  H.  Neff 

C.  H.  Pangburn 

D.  B.  Pangburn 
L.  H.  Porter 

C.  L.  Rawson 

S.  Robinson 

A.  A.  Saunders 

J.  H.  Sage 

Dr.  L.  C.  San  ford 

Prof.  C.  C.  Trowbridge 

W.  E.  Treat 

Prof.  A.  E.  Verrill 

A.  H.  Verrill 


Location 
Bridgeport 
Bridgeport 

Stratford  and  Gaylordsville 
Bridgeport 
New  Haven 
Saybrook 
Norwalk 
Portland 

Bridgeport  and  Seymour 
Deep  River  and  New  Haven 
East  Haven 
Hartford 
New  Haven 
East  Hartford 
East  Berlin 
New  Haven 
Bridgeport 
New  London 
New  Haven 
Norwich 
Stamford 

Kent  and  New  Haven 
Gildersleeve 

Bridgeport  and  Danbury 
Portland 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Stamford 
Norwich 
Portland 
New  Haven 
Portland 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
East  Hartford 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


197 


Initials 

G.  E.  V. 
C.  W.  W. 
E.  S.  W. 
J.  M.  W. 

L.  B.  W. 
W.  W. 


Name 

G.  E.  Verrill 
C.  W.  Webb 
*E.  S.  Woodruff 
C.  L.  Rawson 
(Jennie  May  Whipple) 
L.  B.  Woodruff 
Dr.   W.  Wood 


Location 

New;  Haven 

New  Haven 

New  Haven  and  Litchfield 

Norwich 

New  Haven  and  Litchfield 
East  Windsor  Hill 


Surname 
Adam 
Andrews 
Augur 
Austin 
Averill 
Ayres 
Bailey 
Baldwin 
Barratt 
Beers 
Bernard 
Blackwood 
Bliss 
Brewster 
Brockway 
Brooks 
Bruen 
Buck 
Buttrick 
Cady 
Camp 
Canfield 
Carpenter 
Case 
Case    • 
Clark 
Crary 
Dayan 
Dickerman 
Dunbar 
Dutcher 
Eames 
Flint 
Folsom 
Gabriel 
Gath 
Goff 


Name 

Sarah  W.  Adam 
A.  R.  Andrews 
C.  R.  Augur 

E.  H.  Austin 

C.  K.  Averill,  Jr. 
*Dr.  W.  O.  Ayres 
A.  S.  Bailey 
A.  H.  Baldwin 
*Dr.  J.   Barratt 
H.  W.  Beers 
G.  H.  Bernard 
W.  Blackwood 
W.  P.  Bliss 
W.  Brewster 
A.  W.  Brockway 
*Capt  O.  N.  Brooks 

F.  Bruen 
H.  R.  Buck 
P.  L.  Buttrick 
Prof.  W.  G.  Cady 
R.  D.  Camp 

*J.  H.  Canfield 
C.  M.  Carpenter 
C.  M.  Case 
*G.  R.  Case 
*J.  N.  Clark 
*Dr.   D.   Crary 
*A.  J.  Dayan 

G.  Dickerman 
W.  L.  Dunbar 

J.  S.  Dutcher 
Dr.  E.  H.  Eames 
H.  W.  Flint 
*E.  A.  Folsom 
G.  H.  Gabriel 
J.  Gath 
J.  L.  Goff 


Location 
Canaan 
New  Haven 
Woodbridge 

Stratford  and  Gaylordsville 
Bridgeport 
East  Hartford 
Cobalt 
New  Haven 
Middletown 
Bridgeport 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Middletown 
Cambridge,    Mass. 
Hadlyme 
Guilford 
Bristol 
Wethersfield 
New  Haven 
Middletown 

New  Haven  and  Stamford 
Bridgeport 
Wauregan 
Hartford 
Norwich 
Saybrook 
Hartford 
New  Haven 
Danbury 
Bridgeport 
Watertown 

Bridgeport  and  Seymour 
Deep  River  and  New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Hartford 
Torrington 
Portland 


198 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Surname 
Goodrich 
Gould 
Grinnell 
Hall 
Hamlin 
Hanson 
Hedges 
Herman 
Hill 
Holt 
Hooker 
Hotchkiss 
Howes 
Hoyt 

Humphrey 
Hurlbut 
Hurlbut 
Hutchins 
Job 
Judd 
Judd 
Kedzie 
King 
Lester 
Linsley 
Locke 
Lucas 
Ludington 
Ludington 
Me  Cook 
Merriam 
Miles 
Minor 
Mitchell 
Morgan 
Moses 
Nichols 
Norton 
Osborne 
Osborne 
Pangburn 
Pangburn 
Parkinson 
Parsons 
Pease 
Perry 


Name 

C.  W.  Goodrich 

*F.  H.  R.  Gould 

Dr.  G.  B.  Grinnell 

*Dr.  F.  W.  Hall 

G.  H.  Hamlin 

W.  Hanson 

C.  F.  Hedges 

O.  Herman 

J.  H.  Hill 

J.  Holt 

C.  R.  Hooker 

*Dr.  W.  H.  Hotchkiss 

P.  G.  Howes 

W.  H.  Hoyt 

*H.  C.  Humphrey 

H.  M.  Hurlbut 

*  Seymour  Hurlbut 

J.  Hutchins 

Rev.  H.  K.  Job 

Rev.  H.  C.  Judd 

R.  S.  Judd 

A.  S.  Kedzie 

L.  E.  King 

M.  Lester 

*Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley 

J.  Locke 

*W.  H.  Lucas 

F.  J.  Ludington 

H.  Ludington 

P.  J.  McCook 

Dr.  C.  H.  Merriam 

W.  A.  Miles 

W.  T.  Minor 

E.  Mitchell 

W.  C.  Morgan 

*S.  G.  Moses 

*W.  R.  Nichols 

R.  Norton 

A.   D.   Osborne,  3d. 

T.  B.  Osborne 

C.  H.  Pangburn 

D.  B.  Pangburn 

Dr.  G.  H.  Parkinson 
*L.  J.  Parsons 
C.  H.  Pease 
Dr.  E.  Perry,  Jr. 


Location 
New  H^ven 
Portland 

New  Haven  and  Milford 
New  Haven 
Bridgeport 
Torrington 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  London 
Lyme 

New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Stamford 
Stamford 
Hartford 
Portland 
Portland 
Litchfield 

Kent  and  New  Haven 
Bethel 
Bethel 
New  Haven 
Middletown 
Suffield 
Stratford 
New  Haven 
Bridgeport 
North   Haven 
North  Haven 
Niantic 
New  Haven 
Twin  Lakes 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Hartford 
Branford 
Guilford 

New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Middletown 
New  Haven 
Canaan 
Bridgeport 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


199 


Surname 
Porter 
Powers 
Prior 
Rawson 
Reynolds 
Robbins 
Robertson 
Rowell 
St.  John 
Sanford 
Schaler 
Searles 
Sherman 
Shores 
Smith 
Smith 
Smith 
Smith 
Smith 
Silliman 
Sperry 
Stetson 
Stetson 
Strong 
Sweetland 
Taylor 
Thompson 
Town  send 
Trowbridge 
Tryon 
Uhl 
Verrill 
Voorhees 
Watrous 
Webb 
Welch 
Werking 
Whitney 
Wildman 
Williams 
Woolsey 


Name 

L.  H.   Porter 

A.  G.  Powers 

C.  E.  Prior 

C.  L.  Rawson 

Prof.  H.  M.  Reynolds 

W.  A.  Robbins 

J.  B.  Robertson 

Dr.  C  Rowell 

Prof.  E.  P.  St.  John 

H.  Sanford 

J.  Schaler 

E.  Searles 

F.  Sherman 
Dr.  E.  I.  Shores 

E.  Smith 

G.  V.  Smith 
M.  T.  Smith 
Prof.  S.  I.  Smith 
W.  F.  Smith 
*Prof.  B.  Silliman 
*K.  Sperry 

J.  Y.  Stetson 

Dr.  P.  R.  Stetson 

N.  B.  Strong 

A.  R.  Sweetland 

H.  H.  Taylor 

Dr.  E.  L.  R.  Thompson 

H.  H.  Townsend 

Prof.  C.  C.  Trowbridge 

*E.  S.  Tryon 

J.  Uhl 

Prof.  A.  E.  Verrill 

C.  G.  Voorhees 

C.  H.  Watrous 

C.  W.  Webb 

L.  S.  Welch 

F.  J.  Werking 
H.  Whitney 

F.  J.  Wildman 
C.  H.  Williams 
Dr.  G.  Woolsey 


Location 
Stamford 
Hartford 
Jewett  City 
Norwich 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Stamford 
Hartford 
Litchfield 
Stamford 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Suffield 
Bristol 
New  Haven 
Hartford 
New  Haven 
South  Norwalk 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
New  Haven 
Portland 

Bridgeport 
New  Haven 
New,  Haven 
New  Haven 
Portland 
Montowese 
New  Haven 
Greenwich 
Chester 
New  Haven 
Hartford 
Taftsville 
New  Haven 
Guilford 
Winchester 
New  Haven 


2OO  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.    -          [Bull. 


4.    BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

This  list  is  far  from  complete,  but  it  is  believed  to  contain 
most  of  the  important  books  and  articles  treating  on  Connecticut 
birds.  The  names  of  authors  are  arranged  alphabetically,  and 
the  titles  cited  under  the  name  of  each  author  are  arranged 
chronologically.  The  works  on  economic  ornithology,  quoted  in 
the  chapter  on  that  subject,  have,  as  a  rule,  been  omitted  here. 
Abbott,  S.  L. 

1842.     Remarks  on  Exhibition  of  some  Birds  from  Con- 
necticut.—  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  i,  p.  56. 
Adam,  Sarah  W. 

1911.     Evening  Grosbeaks   at  Canaan. —  Bird-Lore,  xiii, 

2,  p.  94. 

Adams,  Prof.  Charles  C. 

1902.  Postglacial  Origin  and  Migration  of  the  Life  of 
the  Northeastern  United  States. —  Journ.  of 
Geog.,  i,  7,  pp.  303-310. 

Alcott,  William  P. 

1870.     Albino  Snow  Bird. —  Am.  Nat.,  iv,  6,  p.  376. 
Allen,  Glover  M.,  Ph.D. 

1909.     Fauna  of  New  England,     n.     List  of  the  Aves. — 

Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  Occasional  Papers,  vii. 
Allen,  Joel  Asaph,  Ph.D. 

1860-3.  Birds  of  New  England.— New  England  Farmer, 
25  articles. 

1864.  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  found  at  Springfield,  Mass. 

—  Proc.  Eslsex  Inst.,  iv,  2,  pp.  48-49. 

1865.  Notes  on  the  Habits  and  Distribution  of  the  Duck 

Hawk,  or  American  Peregrine  Falcon,  in  the 
Breeding  Season,  and  Description  of  the  Eggs. 

—  Proc.  Essex  Inst.,  iv,  pp.  153-161. 

1868.  Notes  on  the  Red  and  Mottled  Owls.— Am.  Nat., 
ii,  6,  pp.  327-329. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2OI 

1869-70.  Notes  on  some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Massa- 
chusetts.—  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  10,  pp.  505-519;  n, 
pp.  568-585;  12,  pp.  631-648. 

1871.  On  the  Mammals  and  Winter  Birds  of  East 
Florida,  with  an  examination  of  certain  assumed 
Specific  Characters  in  Birds,  and  a  Sketch  of 
the  Bird-Fauna  of  Eastern  North  America. — 
Bull.  Mus.  Comp.  ZooL,  ii,  3,  pp.  161-450;  pis. 
iv-viii. 

1878.  A  List  of  the  Birds  of  Massachusetts  with  anno- 
tations.—  Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  pp.  3-37. 

1880.  Notice   of   Connecticut   Records   in   Familiar  Sci. 

and  Fanciers'   Journ.,   vols.   v   and   vi. —  Bull. 
Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  v.  2,  pp.  113-114. 

1881.  The   Connecticut  Warbler— -a  Correction.—  Bull. 

Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  vi,  2,  p.  114. 

1881.  A  Second  Massachusetts  Specimen  of  the  Red- 
bellied  Woodpecker. —  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  vi, 
3,  P-  183. 

1883.  Notices  of  Connecticut  Records  in  the  Ornithologist 
and  Oologist,  Vol.  vi,  by  J.  H.  Sage,  J.  N.- 
Clark, Miss  Wood,  C.  L.  Rawson,  C.  M.  Jones, 
S.  T.  Holbrook,  and  J.  M.  Wade.— Bull.  Nutt. 
Orn.  Club,  viii,  3,  pp.  173-177. 

1883.  Notices  of  Connecticut  Records  in  the  Ornithologist 
and  Oologist,  Vol.  vii.—  Bull  Nutt.  Orn.  Club, 
viii,  4,  pp.  234-237. 

1885.  Notices  of  Connecticut  Records  in  the  Ornithologist 

and  Oologist,  Vol.  viii. —  Auk,  ii,  i,  pp.  96-101, 

1886.  Notices  of-  Connecticut  Records  in  Random  Notes 

on  Natural  History,  Vols.  i,  ii. —  Auk,  iii,  2,  pp. 
271-272. 

1886.  A  Revised  List  of  the  Birds  of  Massachusetts. — 

Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  i,  7,  pp.  221-271. 

1887.  Platt  on  the  Birds  of  Meriden,  Conn.—  Auk,  iv, 

^  2,  p.  154. 

1905.  The  Loggerhead  Shrike  in  Connecticut  in  Winter. 
—  Auk,  xxii,  2,  p.  211. 


202  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Allis,  Alice  L. 

1911.  Evening  Grosbeaks  at  Norwichtown. —  Bird-Lore, 
xiii,  4,  p.  209. 

American  Ornithologists'  Union. 

1886.  The  Code  of  Nomenclature  and  Check-List  of 
North  American  Birds,  adopted  by  the  American 
Ornithologists'  Union. 

1895.  Check-List  of  North  American  Birds,  prepared  by 
a  Committee  of  the  American  Ornithologists' 
Union.  Second  and  Revised  Edition. 

1910.  Check-List  of  North  American  Birds,  prepared  by 
a  Committee  of  the  American  Ornithologists' 
Union.  Third  Edition,  revised. 

Arnold,  Mary  Hazen. 

1901.     One   Summer  with   a  Fairy   Housekeeper.—  Am. 

Ornith.,  i,  10,  pp.  195-197-  % 

Audubon,  J.  J. 

1840-44.     The  Birds  of  America,  from  Drawings  made  in 

the  United  States  and  their  Territories. 
Austin,  E.  H. 

1888.    An  Early  Yellow  Rail  — March  24.—  Forest  and 
\  Stream,  xxx,  n,  p.  205. 

Averill,  C.  K.,  Jr. 

1884.     Fox  Sparrow  in  Winter. —  O,  and  O.,  ix,  2,  p.  22. 

1884.  Two  Connecticut  Rarities. —  O.  and  0.,  ix,  9,  pp. 

III-II2. 

1885.  The  Northern  Shrike  as  a  Singer.— O.  and  O., 

x,  4,  P-  53- 

1888.  The  Yellow  Rail  in  Connecticut.—  Auk,  v,  3,  p. 

319. 

1889.  The   Loggerhead   Shrike   at   Bridgeport,   Conn. — 

Auk,  vi,  I,  p.  74. 

1889.  Tringa  bairdii  on  Long  Island  Sound. —  Auk,  vi, 
2,  p.  189. 

1889.  Correction  of  Vol.  vi,  p.  74. —  Auk,  vi,  2,  p.  192. 

1890.  The    Evening    Grosbeak    in    Connecticut. —  Auk, 

vii,  2,  p.  211. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2O3 

1891.  Briinnich's  Murre  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  viii,  3, 

P.  3°7- 

1892.  List  of  Birds  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Bridgeport, 

Conn. —  Bridgeport  Scientific  Society. 

Ayres,  Dr.  W.  O. 

1854.     Hirundo   lunifrons  at  Hartford  in   1833. —  Proc. 
Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  iv,  p.  270. 

B.,  H.  W.  —  See  Beers,  Henry  W. 

B.,  W.  H. 

1884.     Red-winged  Blackbird  Nesting  in  Bushes. —  Young 

Odlogist,  i,  u,  pp.  149-15°- 
Baird,  Spencer  F.,  Brewer,  T.  M.,  and  Ridgway,  Robert. 

1874.     A  History  of  North  American  Birds  —  Land  Birds. 
1884.     A    History    of    North    American    Birds  —  Water 

Birds. 
Baird,  Spencer  F.,  Cassin,  John,  and  Lawrence,  George  N. 

1858.     Report  on  Explorations  and  Surveys  for  a  Railroad 

from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Vol.  ix,  Pt.  ii,  Birds. 

Baird,  Spencer  F.,  Cassin,  John,  and  Lawrence,  George  N. 

1870.  The  Birds  of  North  America.  Vol.  i,  text;  Vol. 
ii,  plates. 

Ball,  Jennie  C. 

1905.     How  the  Birds  Come. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  6,  p.  280. 
Barratt,  Dr.  J. 

1850.  Black  Egyptian  Ibis  (a  Rare  Bird),  called  also 
Glossy  Ibis,  Ibis  falcinella. —  Sentinel  and  Wit- 
ness (Middletown),  xxviii,  1430. 

Barrows,  Prof.  Walter  B. 

1884.  Abnormal   Coloration   in  a   Caged   Robin. —  Auk, 

i,  i,  p.  90. 

1885.  Abnormal   Coloration   in   a   Caged   Robin. —  Auk, 

«»  3.  P-  303- 

1885.     Another  Black  Robin. —  Auk,  ii,  3,  p.  303. 
1889.     Tne  English  Sparrow  in  North  America. —  U.  S. 

Dept.  Agriculture,  Division  of  Economic  Ornith. 

and  Mamm.,  Bull.  i. 


2O4  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1889.  The  Food  of  Crows. —  Ann.  Report  Dept.  Agri- 

culture for  1888,  pp.  498-535. 

Barrows,  Walter  B.,  and  Schwarz,  E.  A. 

1895.  The  Common  Crow  of  the  United  States  — U.  S. 
Dept.  Agriculture,  Division  of  Economic  Ornith. 
and  Mamm.,  Bull.  6. 

Batchelder,    Charles   F. 

1890.  An  Early  Yellow  Rail. —  Auk,  vii,  4,  p.  389. 

Beers,  Henry  W. 

1891.  Hawks'  Nests. —  0.  and  O.,  xvi,  2,  p.  26. 

1892.  Nesting  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl. —  O.  and  0., 

xvii,  4,  p.  57. 
1892.     A  Day  in  the  Woods. —  0.  and  O.,  xvii,  5,  pp. 

68-69. 
1911.     Set  of  Three  Eggs  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl.— 

Oologist,  xxviii,  4,  p.  79. 

Bendire,  Major  Charles. 

1892.  Life  Histories  of  North  American  Birds,  with 
special  reference  to  their  Breeding  Habits  and 
Eggs.  Part  I.  Gallinaceous  Birds,  Pigeons 
or  Doves,  Birds  of  Prey.— U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. 
Special  Bull.  No.  I. 

1895.     Same.    Part  II.    Psittaceous  Birds,  Picarian  Birds, 
Picine    Birds,    Macrochirine    Birds,    Passerine 
Birds.— U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  Special  Bull.  No.  3. 
Betts,  A.  E. 

1892.  Late  Nesting  of  Barn  Swallows,  Sept.  3d. —  0.  and 
0.,  xvii,  n,  p.  172. 

Betts,  Norman  de  W. 

1910.  Pied-Billed  Grebe  Nesting  in  Connecticut. —  Bird- 
Lore,  xii,  5,  p.  199. 

Bishop,  Louis  B.,  M.  D. 

1885.  Ipswich  Sparrow  in  Connecticut. —  O.  and  0.,  x, 
2,  p.  30. 

1889.  Helminthophila  pinus,  H.  chrysoptera,  H.  leuco- 
bronchialis,  and  H,  lawrencei  in  Connecticut  in 
the  Spring  of  1888.—  Auk,  vi,  2,  p.  192. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2O5 

1893.  The  Breeding  of  Brewster's  Warbler. —  Abst.  Linn. 

Soc.,  N.  Y.,  vi.  p.  10. 

1894.  Olor   columbianus   in   Connecticut. —  Auk,    xi,    i, 

P.  74- 
1894.     Hydrochelidon  nigra  surinamensis  in  Connecticut. 

—  Auk,  xi,  i,  p.  74. 
1894.     Helminthophila  leucobronchialis — female  with  two 

young.— Auk,  xi,  I,  p.  79. 

1894.  Remarks  on  the  Nest  of  Cistothorus  palustris. — 

Auk,  xi,  i,  p.  80. 

1895.  Aythya  marila  or  A.  m.  nearctica?  —  Auk,  ,xii,  3, 

P-  293. 
1895.     An  apparently  Undescribed  Plumage  of  Oidemia 

perspicillata. — 'Auk,  xxi,  3,  p.  295. 
1895.     Lanius     ludovicianus     migrans     and      Tryngitcs 

subruficollis  in  Connecticut. —  Abst.  Linn.  Soc., 

N.  Y.,  viii,  p.  4. 
1899.     Loggerhead  Shrike  at  New  Haven. —  Abst.  Linn. 

Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xi,  p.  5. 

1899.  Series   of   Brewster's   Warblers   taken   near   New 

Haven. —  Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xi,  p.  7. 

1900.  Catbird  taken  at  Guilford,  Jan.  24,   1900. —  Abst. 

Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xii,  p.  7. 

1901.  Rachitis  in  Young  Red-shouldered  Hawks. —  Auk, 

xviii,  2,  p.  192. 
1901.     The  European  Starling  in  Connecticut.   Auk,  xviii, 

2,  p.  194. 
1901.     Acanthis     linaria     rostrata     and     Xanthocephalus 

xanthocephalus  in   Connecticut. — Auk,  xviii,  2, 

P-  195- 
1901.     Deformity   of   Maxilla   in   the   House   Sparrow. — 

Auk,  xviii,  2,  p.  195. 

1901.     The  Winter  Birds  of  Pea  Island,  North  Carolina. — 
Auk,  xviii,  3,  pp.  260-268. 

1901.  A  new  Sharp-tailed  Finch  from  North  Carolina. — 

Auk,  xviii,  3,  pp.  269-270. 

1902.  Migration  at  New  Haven. —  Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N. 

Y.,  xiii,  pp.  4-5. 


2O6  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bltll. 

1902.     Starling   taken   at   New   Haven,   Dec.   3,    1900. — 

Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xiii,  p.  6. 
1902.     Greater  Redpoll  etc.  at  New  Haven. —  Abst.  Linn. 

Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xiii,  p.  6. 
1902.     Winter  Records  in  Connecticut. —  Abst.  Linn.  Soc., 

N.  Y.,  xiv,  p.  10. 
1902.     The  Summer  Birds  of  Warren,  Conn. — Abst.  Linn. 

Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xiv,  p.  ii. 

1902.  Barred  Owl's   and  Red-shouldered  Hawk's  Eggs 

in  the  same  Nest. —  Abst.  Linn.   Soc.,  N.    Y., 
xiv,  p.  12. 

1903.  The  Water-Fowl  Family. 

1904.  Barred  Owl  and  Red-shouldered  Hawk  laying  in 

the  same  Nest  for  two  Years. —  Abst.  Linn.  Soc., 
N.  Y.,  xv,  p.  4. 

1905.  The  Status  of  Helminthophila  leucobronchialis  and 

Helminthophila    lazvrencei. —  Auk.   xxii,    I,   pp. 
21-24. 

1905.  The  Direction  of  Flight  in  the  Fall  Migration  at 

New  Haven,  Conn. —  Auk,  xxii,  4,  pp.  372-378. 

1906.  Notes  from  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxiii,  3,  p.  344. 

1907.  Short-eared  Owl  and  Holbcell's  Grebe  in  Connecti- 

cut.— Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xvii,  p.  9. 

1907.  Direction   of   Flight   in    Fall    Migration    at    New 

Haven,    and    Notes    from    Connecticut. — 'Abst. 
Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xvii,  p.  9.  , 

1908.  List  of  the  Birds  of  the  New  Haven  Region. — 

New  Haven  Bird  Club,  Bull.  i. 
1910.     Two  New  Sub-species  of  North  American  Birds. — 

Auk,  xxvii,  I,  pp.  59-63. 
1910.     Notes  from  Connecticut. — Auk,  xxvii,  4,  p.  462. 

Bonaparte,  Charles  Lucien  J.  L. —  See  Wilson,  Alexander. 

Bonner,  Mrs.  Paul  R. 

1907.     Notes  on  the  Starling. —  Bird-Lore,  ix,  4,  pp!  171- 

172. 

1907.     Trapping  English  Sparrows. —  Bird-Lore,  ix,  5  pp. 
211-213. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2O7 

Brandegee,  Robert  B. 

1893.     The  Birds  of  Berlin   [Conn.]. —  Berlin  News,  iii, 
2,  p.  2. 

1893.     The   Hawks   of    Berlin    [Conn.]. —  Berlin   News, 
iii,  4. 

1908.     The    Farmington    Mountain    Reservation. —  Bird- 
Lore,  x,  4,  p.  191. 
Brewer,  Thomas  M.,  M.D. 

1856.     Raptores  and  Fissirostres. —  Smithson.  Contrib.  to 
Knowledge.  North  American  Oology,  Part  I. 

1869.     Seaside  Ornithology. —  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  5,  pp.  225-235. 

1875.     Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  New  England. —  Proc. 
Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xvii,  pp.  436-454. 

1878.  Notes  on  Certain  Species  of  New  England  Birds, 

with  additions  to  his  Catalogue  of  the  Birds 
of  New  England. —  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist., 
xix,  pp.  301-309. 

1879.  Some  additional  notes  upon  Birds  observed  in  New 

England. —  Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xx,  pp. 
263-277. 

1880.  Blue- winged  Yellow  Warbler  in  New  England. — 

Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  v,  I,  p.  48. 
*        See  also  Baird,  Spencer  F. 

Brewster,  C.  E.—  Sce  Oldys,  Henry;  Palmer,  T.  S. 
Brewster,  William. 

1877.     Merriam's  "  Review  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut." 

—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  ii,  4,  p.  107. 
1884.     Description  of  the  female  of  Helminthophaga  leu- 

cobronchialis. —  Auk,  i,  i,  p.  91. 
1895.     Minot's  "  The  Land  Birds  and  Game  Birds  of  New 

England."    Second  Edition. 
1895.     A  Remarkable  Flight  of  Pine  Grosbeaks.—  Auk, 

xii,  3,  pp.  245-256. 
See  also  Minot,  H.  D. 
Brockway,  Arthur  W. 

1898.     The  Turkey  Vulture  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xv,  I, 

P-  53- 

1898.     Carolina  Wren  at  Lyme,  Conn. —  Auk,  xv,  2,  p. 
192. 


2O8  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1898.  Carolina  Wren  at  Lyme,  Conn. —  Auk,  xv,  3,  p. 

274. 

1899.  The  Little  Blue  Heron  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xvi, 

4,  P-  351. 

1899.     Odd  Nesting  of  Maryland  Yellow-throat. —  Auk, 
xvi,  4,  p.  360. 

1909.  Spring  Migration  at  Hadlyme. —  Hartford  Times, 

June  7. 

1910.  A  Carolina  Wren  in  New  London  County,  Conn. — 

Auk,  xxvii,  2,  p.  213. 

Brown,  Nathan  Clifford. 

1882.     An  Addition  to  the   Maine   Fauna.—  Bull   Nutt. 

Orn.  Club,  vii,  I,  p.  60. 

1882.     The    King   Rail   in   New   England.—  Bull.    Nutt. 
Orn.  Club,  vii,  2,  p.  124. 

Browne,  F.  C. 

1887.     The  New  England  Glossy  Ibises  of  1850.— Auk, 
iv,  2,  pp.  97-100. 

Bruen,  Frank. 

1902.     Some    Bluebird    Boxes    and    Troubles. —  Wilson 
Bulletin,  No.  41,  xiv,  4,  pp.  121-123. 

1902.  Winter  Birds  of  Bristol,   Conn.,   and  Vicinity. — 

Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  41,  xiv,  4,  p.  132. 

1903.  The  New  Years  Day  Bird  Census  at  Bristol. — 

Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  42,  xv,  i,  p.  27. 

1904.  The  New  Year's  Day  Bird  Census  at  Bristol. — 

Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  46,  xvi,  I,  p.  16. 

1905.  Transplanting  a  Robin. —  Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  50, 

xvii,  I,  p.  25. 
1905.     Moving  a  Wren's  Home. —  Wilson  Bulletin,  No. 

50,  xvii,  i,  p.  26. 
1907.     Notes  from  Bristol,  Conn. —  Wilson  Bulletin,  No. 

61,  xix,  4,  p.  162. 

Buck,  Henry  R. 

1893.     A  Nest  of  Hen  Hawks. — O.  and  0.,  xviii,  10,  pp. 
133-135. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2O9 

1894.  An  Oologist  of  Early  Day.  — Odlogist,  xi,  10,  p. 

305. 

1896.  The  Breeding  of  Warbling  and  Yellow-throated 

Vireos. —  Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  II,  pp.  4-5. 

1897.  Nest   built  by   Ospreys   near   Hartford,    Conn. — 

Osprey,  i,  10,  p.  130. 

1897.  An  Osprey's  Nest  at  Hartford,  Conn. —  Osprey, 

i,  11-12,  p.  149. 

1898.  An  Elusive  Pair  of  Screech  Owls.—  Wilson  Bul- 

letin, No.  23,  x,  6,  pp.  76-77. 

Burns,  Frank  L. 

1895.  The  American  Crow. —  Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  5. 
1900.     A  Monograph  of  the  Flicker  (Colaptes  auratus). 

—  Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  31,  xii,  2,  pp.  1-82. 
1911.     A  Monograph  of  the  Broad-winged  Hawk  (Buteo 

platypterus). —  Wilson    Bulletin,    Nos.    76,    77, 
xxiii,  3,  4,  pp.  1-320. 
Burr,  F.  L. 

1896.  The  Baltimore  Oriole. —  The  Observer,  vii,  5,  pp. 

215-217. 

Burr,  Freeman  F. 

1908.     List  of  Birds  of  the  New  Haven  Region. —  New 
Haven  Bird  Club,  Bull  i. 

Buttrick,  P.  L. 

'1907.     The  Starling  at  Stonington  and  New  Haven,  Conn. 

—  Bird-Lore,  ix,  5,  p.  208. 

1908.  List  of  the  Birds  of  the  New  Haven  Region. — 

New  Haven  Bird  Club,  Bull.  i. 

1909.  Observations  on  the  Life  History  of  the  Bobolink. 

—  Bird-Lore,  xi,  3,  p.  125. 

C.,  G.  R.—  See  Case,  George  R. 

Cabot,  Samuel,  Jr.,  M.D. 

1851.     Ibis  guarauna  taken  at  Middletown,  Conn. —  Proc. 

Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii,  p.  314. 
Canfield,  J.  B. 

1895.     The  Red  Phalarope  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.—  Auk, 

xii,  i,  p.  77. 
14 


2IO  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1897.     A  Nest  within  a  Nest. —  O  bio  gist,  xiv,  6,  p.  58. 
1902.     Blue-winged  Warbler. —  Am.  Ornith.,  ii,  pp.  52-55. 
1902.     Louisiana    Water-Thrush. —  Am.    Ornith.,    ii.    pp. 

225-227. 

Capen,  Elwin  A. 

1886.     Oology  of  New  England. 

Carpenter,   Frederic  H. 

1886.     Regarding  the  Pileated  Woodpecker  in  Connecticut. 
—  O.  and  O.,  xi,  3,  p.  48. 

Case,  Rev.  Bert  Francis. 

1905.  Notes   on    Winter    Feeding   at    Middle   Haddam, 

Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  5,  p.  242. 

1906.  An  Experience  in  Tree-top  Photography. —  Bird- 

Lore,  viii,  i,  pp.  1-6. 

Case,  Clifford  M. 

1896.     Solitary  Vireo  Nesting  in  Connecticut. — Auk,  xiii, 

4,  P.  343- 
1905.     Rough-winged    Swallow    at    Hartford,    Conn. — 

Oologist,  xxii,  7,  p.  108. 
1905.     Red-tailed  Hawk. —  O  oh  gist,  xxii,  7,  p.  108. 

1907.  City  Birds. —  Oologist,  xxiv,  4,  p.  57. 

Case,  George  R. 

1882.  Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler.— 0.  and  O./vii,  16, 

pp.   124-125. 

1883.  Field  Glass.— O.  and  O.,  viii,  I,  pp.  5-6. 

Cassin,  John.  —  See  Baird,  Spencer  F. 

Census,  The  Christmas  Bird  —  Connecticut. 

1901.  Bird-Lore,  iii,  i,  p.  30. 

1902.  Bird-Lore,  iv,  i,  p.  26. 

1903.  Bird-Lore,  v,  i,  pp.  15-16. 

1904.  Bird-Lore,  vi,  i,  pp.  10-11. 

1905.  Bird-Lore,  vii,  I,  p.  25. 

1906.  Bird-Lore,  viii,  I,  pp.  16-17. 

1907.  Bird-Lore,  ix,  i,  pp.  21-23. 

1908.  Bird-Lore,  x,  i,  pp.  26-27. 

1909.  Bird-Lore,  xi,   i,  pp.   20-22. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  211 

1910.  Bird-Lore,  xii,  i,  pp.  23-24. 

1911.  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  i,  pp.  23-25. 

1912.  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  i,  pp.  23-24. 

Chadbourne,  Arthur  P.,  M.  D. 

1889.     An  Unusual  Flight  of  Killdeer  Plover  along  the 
New  England  Coast. —  Auk,  vi,  3,  pp.  255-263. 

Chamberlain,  Montague. 

1891.  Nuttall's  Ornithology  of  Eastern  North  America. 

Revised  and  Annotated. 

Chapman,  Frank  M. 

1892.  A  Preliminary  Study  of  the  Crackles  of  the  Sub- 

genus    Quiscalus.      Author's    Edition.      [From 
Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  iv,  i,  p.  20.] 

1894.  Visitors'  Guide  to  the  Collection  of  Birds  Found 

within  Fifty  Miles  of  New  York  City. 

1895.  Handbook  of  Birds  of  Eastern  North  America. 

1898.  Sage's    "List  of  Portland,  Conn.,  Birds."—  Auk, 

xv,  3,  p.  284. 

1899.  Sparrow-proof  Houses. —  Bird-Lore,  i,  2,  p.  60. 

1900.  The  Season's  Flight  of  Crossbills. —  Bird-Lore,  ii, 

i,  P-  25. 

1900.     Additional  Notes  on  the  Season's  Flight  of  Cross- 
bills.—  Bird-Lore,  ii,  2,  p.  59. 

1900.  A  study  of  the  Genus  Sturnella. —  Bull.  Am.  Mus. 

Nat.  Hist.,  xiii,  22,  pp.  297-320. 

1901.  A  Nighthawk  Incident. —  Bird-Lore,  Hi,  4,  p.  126. 
1903.     Color  Key  to  North  American  Birds. 

1906.  The  Birds  of  the  Vicinity  of  New  York  City. — 

Am.  Mus.  Jour.,  vi,  2,  3.    Reprint,  pp.  1-96. 

1907.  The  Warblers  of  North  America. 

1909.     Carolina  Wren  in  Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  i, 

P-  15- 

1912.     Handbook  of  Birds  of   Eastern   North  America. 
Revised  Edition. 

Clark,  John  N. 

1 88 1.     Hooded  Warblers  Nesting  in  Southern  Connecticut. 
—  O.  and  O.,  vi,  2,  pp.  9-10. 


212  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1881.     Little  Blue  Heron  (Note).—  O.  and  O.,  vi,  7,  p.  51. 

1 88 1.  Red-headed  Woodpecker  in  Southern  Connecticut. 

—0.  and  O.,  vi,  9,  p.  72. 

1882.  Hooded  Warbler  Nesting  in  Southern  Connecticut. 

—  0.  and  O.,  vii,  13,  p.  102. 
1882.     Great  Horned  Owl's  Nest  and  Eggs.—  O.  and  0., 

vii,  16,  pp.  125-126. 
1882.     Nesting  Habits  —  Woodcock  and  Black  Duck. — 

O.  and  0.,  vii,  p.  144. 
1882.     Large-billed  Water-Thrush. —  0.  and  O.,  vii,  19, 

pp.  145-147. 
1882.     Great  White  Egret  in  Connecticut. — O.   and  0., 

vii,  24,  p.  189. 
1882.     Eggs  of  Yellow-billed  and   Black-billed   Cuckoos 

in  the  same  Nest. —  O.  and  0.,  vii,  24,  p.  189. 

1882.  Red-Shouldered  Hawk.—  O.  and  O.,  vii,  24,  p.  189. 

1883.  Clark  on  "  Gull  Island."—  O.  and  O.,  viii,  3,  p.  21. 
1883.     Blue-winged    Yellow    Warbler    nesting    in    Con- 
necticut.—  O.  and  O.,  viii,  5,  pp.  37-38. 

1883.     Hairy  Woodpecker. —  O.  and  O.,  viii,  10,  pp.  77-78. 
1883.     Curious  Nesting  of  a  Blue  Jay. —  0.  and  0.,  viii, 

10,  p.  78. 
1883.     Blue  Jays  Tame. —  0.  and  0.,  viii,  10,  p.  78. 

1883.  Winter  Birds. —  O.  and  O.,  viii,  10,  p.  80. 

1884.  Nesting  of  the  Little  Black  Rail  in  Connecticut— 

Auk,  i,  4,  p.  393. 
1884.     A  Prolific  Pair  of  Song  Sparrows. — Random  Notes 

on  Nat.  Hist.,  i,  10,  p.  3. 
1884.     Notes    on  .the    Sharp-shinned    Hawk. —  Random 

Notes  on  Nat.  Hist.,  i,  12,  p.  10. 

1884.  The  Screech  Owl.— O.  and  O.,  ix,  5,  p.  61. 

1885.  Helminthophila    leucobronchialis    at    Saybrook. — 

Random  Notes  on  Nat.  Hist.,  ii,  6,  p.  43. 
1885.     Tennessee  Warbler  at  Saybrook. —  Random  Notes 
on  Nat.  Hist.,  ii,  9,  p.  67. 

1885.  Successful  Rearing  of  some  Young  Dusky  Ducks. 

—  Random  Notes  on  Nat.  Hist.,  ii,  12,  p.  93. 

1886.  Immaculate   Eggs   of   Song   Sparrows. —  Random 

Notes  on  Nat.  Hist.,  iii,  i,  p.  8. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  213 

1886.  Constancy  of  a  Male  Oriole. —  Random  Notes  on 

Nat.  Hist.,  in,  12,  p.  98. 

1887.  Nesting  of  the  Black- throated  Green  Warbler. — 

O.  and  O.,  xii,  2,  pp.  22-23. 

1887.  A  Favorite  Nest  [Nest  occupied  in  successive 
stories  by  two  species  of  owls  and  two  of 
hawks]. —  0.  and  O.,  xii,  8,  p.  135. 

1887.  The  Number  of  Eggs  in  a  Set  of  certain  Species. — 

O.  and  O.,  xii,  10,  p.  173. 

1888.  The  Corn  Crake  in  Connecticut. —  O.  and  O.,  xiii, 

3,  pp.  45-46 

1888.  Nest  Building. —  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  9,  p.  141. 

1889.  A  Swallow-tailed  Kite  at  Saybrook,  Conn.— O.  and 

O.,  xiv,  8,  p.  123. 
1889.     The  Effect  of  a  Storm  on  Birds. —  0.  and  O./xiv, 

3,  PP-  35-36. 

1889.  The  White-throated  Warbler  at  Saybrook,  Conn. — 

O.  and  O.,  xiv,  8,  p,  119. 

1890.  Nesting  of  the  Yellow-throated  Vireo. —  0.  and  O., 

xv,  5,  pp.  69-70. 

1890.  Albino  Sparrow,  etc.,  at  Saybrook. —  O.  and  0.,  xv, 

12,  p.  188. 

1891.  A  Crazy  Bluebird. —  O.  and  O.,  xvi,  2,  p.  24. 

1892.  Nesting  of  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk. —  O.  and  O., 

xvii,  2,  pp.  27-28. 

1892.  True  Politeness  [Habits  of  the  Cedar  Bird].—  The 

Observer,  iii,  10,  pp.  305-307. 

1893.  The  First  Spring  Outing. —  0.  and  O.,  xviii,   I, 

pp.  1-2. 
1893.     Queer  Occupant  of  a  Goldfinch's  Nest. —  0.  and 

O.,  xviii,  4,  pp.  51-52. 
1895.     Summer  Redbird  at  Saybrook,  Conn. —  Auk,  xii, 

3,  P-  306. 
1902.     Nesting  of  the  Great  Carolina  Wren  in  Connecticut, 

—  Auk,  xix,  i,  p.  90. 
Clulee,  H.  L. 

1885.     Purple  Grackle  and  Kingfisher  at  Wallingford  in 

December.-^  Random  Notes  on  Nat.  Hist.,  ii, 

3,  p.  18. 


214  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Coe,  W.  W. 

1878.     Spring  Notes   [at  Portland,  Conn.]. —  Forest  and 
Stream,  x,  pp.  68-69. 

1882.  Curious  Nesting  Places. —  O.  and  O.,  vii,  23,  pp. 

183-184. 

1883.  Barred  Owls  and  Canada  Goose. —  O.  and  O.,  viii, 

i,  P.  3- 
1883.     Canada    Buntings     (Snowflakes)     at    Portland. — 

O.  and  O.,  viii,  i,  p.  4. 

1883.     Great  Horned  Owl. —  0.  and  O.,  viii,  2,  p.  14. 
1883.     Bluebirds  at  Portland,  Dec.  315!,  1882.—  O.  and  O., 

viii,  3,  p.  23. 
1883.     Kingfisher  Shot  at  Portland,  Jan.    I4th,    1883.— 

O.  and  O.,  viii,  3,  p.  24. 
1883.     Wild  Goose  Shot  Jan.  4th  near  Middletown. —  0. 

and  O.,  viii,  3,  p.  24. 
1883.     Set  of  Great  Horned  Owl's  Eggs,  March  4th,  1883. 

— 0.  and  O.,  viii,  6,  p.  45. 
Colbron,  E.  K. 

1888.  Yellow-Headed  Blackbird  in  Connecticut.—  O.  and 

O.,  xiii,  12,  p.  189. 

Cole,  Prof.  Leon  J. 

1909.  The  Tagging  of  Wild  Birds,  as  a  Means  of  Study- 

ing their  Movements. —  Auk,  xxvi,  2,  pp.   137- 

I43; 

1910.  American  Bird-banding  Association. —  Wilson  Bul- 

letin, No.  70,  xxii,  I,  pp.  53-55. 

Comstock,  William  I. 

1889.  Connecticut  Notes. —  Oologist,  vi,  12,  p.  231. 

1890.  Connecticut  Notes. —  Phoebe's  Nest  with  Five  Cow- 

bird's  Eggs. —  Oologist,  vii,  7,  p.  141. 
1892.     The  Vireos  of  Connecticut. —  Oologist f  ix,  3,  p.  76. 
1905.     Another  Large  Set  of  Hawks  [Eggs]. —  Oologist, 

xxii,  n,  p.  1 68. 

Connecticut    Audubon    Society     [Mabel     (Osgood)    Wright, 

President;  Helen  W.  Glover,  Secretary]. 
1899.     Organization. —  Bird-Lore,  i,  i,  p.  30. 
1899.     Second  Annual  Meeting. — Bird-Lore,  i,  4,  p.  139. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  215 

1900.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  ii,  5,  p.  165. 

1901.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  iii,  5,  p.  181. 
1903.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  v,  i,  p.  40. 
1905.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  i,  p.  77. 

1905.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  6,  p.  312. 

1906.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  viii,  2,  p.  77. 

1906.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  viii,  6,  p.  251. 

1907.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  ix,  6,  p.  330. 

1908.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  x,  6,  p.  297. 

1909.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  6,  p.  308. 

1910.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  xii,  6,  p.  285. 

1911.  Annual  Report. —  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  6,  pp.    364-365. 

Cooke,  Wells  W. 

1903.  Some  New  Facts  about  the  Migration  of  Birds. — 
U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Year  Book,  pp.  371-386. 

1903.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  American  Redstart. 

—  Bird-Lore,  v,  6,  p.  189. 

1904.  Distribution    and    Migration    of    North   American 

Warblers.— U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol. 
Surv.,  Bull.  18. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Yellow-breasted 
Chat. —  Bird-Lore,  vi,  i,  p.  23. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers — Black-throated  Green 
Warbler. —  Bird-Lore,  vi,  2,  pp.  57-58. 

1904.  The  Migration  o*f  Warblers  —  Wilson's  Warbler. — 
Bird-Lore,  vi,  2,  p.  58. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Canadian  Warbler. 
Bird-Lore,  vi,  2,  p.  59. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Blue-winged  War- 
bler.—  Bird-Lore,  vi,  3,  p.  91. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Golden-winged 
Warbler. —  Bird-Lore,  vi,  3,  p.  92. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Chestnut-sided  War- 
bler.—  Bird-Lore,  vi,  5,  p.  163. 

1904.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Magnolia  Warbler. 

—  Bird-Lore,  vi,  6,  p.  200. 

1905.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Yellow  Warbler. — 

Bird-Lore,  vii,  i,  p.  32. 


2l6  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1905.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Prairie  Warbler. — 
Bird-Lore,  vii,  i,  p.  34. 

1905.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Connecticut  War- 
bler.—  Bird-Lore,  vii,  2,  p.  136. 

1905.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Black  and  White 
Warbler. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  4,  p.  203. 

1905.     The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Black-poll  Warbler. 

—  Bird-Lore,  vii,  4,  p.  205. 

1905.     The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Nashville  Warbler. 

—  Bird-Lore,  vii,  5,  p.  237. 

1905.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Yellow  Palm  War- 
bler.—  Bird  Lore,  vii,  6,  p.  276. 

1905.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Maryland  Yellow- 

throat. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  6,  p.  277. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Worm-eating  War- 

bler.—  Bird-Lore,  viii,  I,  p.  27. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Myrtle  Warbler. — 
Bird-Lore,  viii,  2,  pp.  61-62. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Oven-bird. —  Bird- 
Lore,  viii,  3,  p.  ico. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Northern  Water- 
Thrush. —  Bird-Lore,  viii,  3,  p.  101. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Louisiana  Water- 
Thrush. —  Bird-Lore,  viii,  3,  p.  102. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Northern  Parula 
Warbler. —  Bird-Lore,  viii,  5,  pp.  168-169. 

1906.  The  Migration  of  Warblers  —  Black-throated  Blue 
Warbler. —  Bird-Lore,  vi,  6,  p.  203. 

1906.  Distribution   and    Migration   of   North    American 

Ducks,  Geese,  and  Swans. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agri- 
culture, Div.  Biol.  Surv.,  Bull.  26. 

1907.  The   Migration   of   Thrushes  —  Wood    Thrush. — 

Bird-Lore,  ix,  I,  p.  32. 
1907.     The  Migration  of  Thrushes  —  Wilson's  Thrush. — 

Bird-Lore,  ix,  I,  p.  33. 
1907.     The  Migration  of  Thrushes  —  American  Robin. — 

Bird-Lore,  ix,  2,  p.  76. 
1907.     The  Migration  of  Thrushes  —  Hermit  Thrush. — 

Bird-Lore,  ix,  3,  p.  123. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 

1908.     The  Migration  of  Flycatchers  —  Least  Flycatcher. 

—  Bird-Lore,  x,  3,  p.  117. 

1908.  The  Migration  of  Flycatchers  —  Kingbird. —  Bird- 
Lore,  x,  4,  p.  166. 

1908.  The  Migration  of  Flycatchers  —  Wood  Pewee. — 
Bird-Lore,  x,  4,  p.  168. 

1908.  The   Migration   of    Flycatchers  —  Phoebe. —  Bird- 

Lore,  x,  5,  pp.  210-211. 

1909.  The    Migration    of    Flycatchers  —  Crested     Fly- 

catcher.—  Bird-Lore,  xi,  I,  pp.  12-13. 
1909.     The  Migration  of  Vireos  —  Philadelphia  Vireo. — 

Bird-Lore,  xi,  2,  p.  78. 
1909.     The    Migration    of    Vireos  —  Warbling    Vireo. — 

Bird-Lore,  xi,  2,  pp.  79-80. 
1909.     The    Migration    of    Vireos  —  Red-eyed    Vireo. — 

Bird-Lore,  xi,  2,  pp.  81-82. 
1909.     The  Migration  of  Vireos  —  White-eyed  Vireo. — 

Bird-Lore,  xi,  3,  p.  118. 
1909.     The  Migration  of  Vireos  —  Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

—  Bird-Lore,  xi,  4,  p.  165. 

1909.     The  Migration  of  Vireos  —  Blue-headed  Vireo. — 

Bird-Lore,  xi,  4,  p.  167. 
1909.     The   Migration  of   North  American   Sparrows  — 

Tree  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  6,  p.  255. 
1909.     The   Migration  of  North  American   Sparrows  — 

Chipping  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xi.  6,  pp.  256- 

257. 

1909.  The   Migration   of   North   American   Sparrows  — 

Field  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  6,  pp.  258-259. 

1910.  The  Migration  of  North  American   Sparrows  — 

Grasshopper  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xii,  i,  p.  13. 
1910.     The  Migration  of  North  American   Sparrows  — 

Henslow's  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xii,  I,  p.  14. 
1910.     The   Migration  of   North  American   Sparrows  — 

Song  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xii,  2,  p.  67. 
1910.     The  Migration  of  North  American   Sparrows  — 

Sharp-tailed  Sparrow. — Bird-Lore,  xii,  3,  p.  ill. 
1910.     The  Migration  of  North  American   Sparrows  — 

Nelson's  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xii,  3,  p.   112. 


2l8  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1910.  The  Migration  of  North  American  Sparrows  — 
Acadian  Sharp-tailed  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xii, 
3,  p.  112. 

1910.  The  Migration  of  North  American  Sparrows  — 
Seaside  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xii,  3,  p.  112. 

1910.  Distribution   and   Migration   of   North   American 

Shore-birds. —  U.    S.    Dept.    Agriculture,    Biol. 
Surv.,  Bull.  35. 

1911.  The   Migration   of  North  American   Sparrows  — 

Vesper   Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,   xiii,   2,   pp.   86 

and  88. 
1911.     The   Migration   of   North  American   Sparrows  — 

Savannah  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  3,  pp.  144 

and  146. 
1911.     The   Migration   of   North  American   Sparrows  — 

Indigo  Bunting. —  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  4,  pp.  199-201. 
1911.     The   Migration   of   North  American   Sparrows  — 

Evening  Grosbeak. —  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  6,  p.  299. 

1911.  The  Migratory  Movements  of  Birds  in  Relation 

to    the    Weather.— U.    S.    Dept.    Agriculture, 
Yearbook  for  1910,  pp.  377-390. 

1912.  The   Migration   of   North   American    Sparrows  — 

White-winged  Crossbill. —  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  i,  p. 

47- 
1912.     The   Migration   of   North   American   Sparrows  — 

White-crowned    Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,    xiv,    2, 

pp.  98-99. 
1912.     The   Migration   of   North   American   Sparrows  — 

White-throated    Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,    xiv,    2, 

pp.  101,  103-104. 
1912.     The   Migration   of   North   American   Sparrows  — 

Rose-breasted    Grosbeak. —  Bird-Lore,    xiv,    3, 

pp.  159  and  161.  " 
1912.     The   Migration  of  North   American   Sparrows  — 

Towhee. —  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  5,  pp.  287  and  289. 

1912.  The   Migration   of   North   American   Sparrows  — 

Pine  Grosbeak. —  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  6,  pp.  345-346. 

1913.  The   Migration   of   North   American    Sparrows  — 

Snow  Bunting. —  Bird-Lore,  xv,   I,  pp.   16-17. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 

1913.  The  Migration  of  North  American  Sparrows  — 
Fox  Sparrow. —  Bird-Lore,  xv,  2,  pp.  105-107. 

1913.  Distribution  and  Migration  of  North  American 
Herons  and  their  Allies. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agricul- 
ture, Biol.  Surv.,  Bull.  45. 

Cory,  Charles  B. 

1897.     How  to  Know  the  Shore-birds. 

1897.  How  to  Know  the  Ducks,  Geese,  and  Swans. 
1899.     The  Birds  of  North  America  known  to  Occur  East 

of   the   Ninetieth    Meridian.      Part    I.      Water 
Birds.    Part  II.    Land  Birds. 

Coues,  Elliott,  M.D. 

1868.  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  North  America  contained 
in  the  Museum  of  the  Essex  Institute,  with 
which  is  incorporated  a  List  of  the  Birds  of  New 
England. —  Proc.  Essex  Inst.,  v,  33,  pp.  249-314. 

1868.  A  List  of  the  Birds  of  New  England  [Reprinted 
from  Proc.  Essex  Inst.],  pp.  71. 

1872.     Key  to  North  American  Birds. 

1874.  Birds  of  the  Northwest. —  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Terr., 
Misc.  Pub.  No.  3. 

1878.  Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley.— U.  S.  Geol.  Surv. 
Terr.,  Misc.  Pub.  No.  n. 

1881.     New  England  Bird  Life.     Part  I.    Oscines. 

1883.  New  England  Bird  Life.    Part  II.        Non-Oscine 

Passeres,  Birds  of  Prey,  Game  and  Water  Birds 

1884.  Key  to  North  American  Birds.     Second  Edition, 

revised  to  date. 

1903.  Key  to  North  American  Birds.  Fifth  Edition,  en- 
tirely revised. 

Cressy,  Nettie  S. 

1911.     Mockingbird  at  West  Hartford  —  Winter,  1910-11. 
-  Hartford  Times,  Feb.  7. 

Davie,  Oliver. 

1898.  Nests  and  Eggs  of  North  American  Birds.     Fifth 

Edition. 


22O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Deane,  Ruthven. 

1880.     Large-billed  Water-Thrush  in  Connecticut. —  Bull. 
Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  v,  2,  p.  116. 

1880.  Hooded  Warbler  in  Connecticut. —  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn. 

Club,  v,  2,  p.  117. 

1881.  Breeding  of  Wild  Pigeons  in  Confinement  [in  Con- 

necticut].—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  vi,  i,  p.  60. 
1902.     Unusual  Abundance  of  the   Snowy  Owl  in  New 
England   and   Canada. —  Auk,  xix,  3,  pp.   276- 
277. 

1906.  Unusual   Abundance   of  the    Snowy   Owl. —  Auk. 

xxiii,  3,  p.  291. 

1907.  The  Snowy  Owl  not  generally  abundant  in  the 

Winter  of  1906-7.—  Auk,  xxiv,  2,  p.  217. 
1907.     Unusual  Abundance   of  the  American   Goshawk. 

—  Auk,  xxiv,  2,  p.  183. 
De  Kay,  James  E. 

1844.     Natural  History  of  New  York.     Zoology  of  New 

York.     Part  II.     Birds. 
Dow,   Everett   D. 

1912.     Hooded  Warbler  at  Hartford,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore, 
xiv,  4,  p.  230. 

Dugmore,  A.  Radclyffe. 

1900.  The  Nests,  Eggs,  and  Breeding  Habits  of  the  Land 

Birds  breeding  in  the  Eastern  United  States. 

Dunbar,  W.  L. 

1888.     Red-eyed  Vireo. —  Oologist,  v,  10-11,  p.  158. 
1893.     Nesting  of   the   Blue-winged   Yellow   Warbler. — 
Oologist,  x,  4,  p.  no. 

Butcher,  William. 

1901.  Protection  of  Gulls  and  Terns  in   Connecticut. — 

Auk,  xviii.  i,  pp.  84-86. 

1902.  Protection  of  Gulls  and  Terns  in  Connecticut. — 

Auk,  xix,  i,  p.  39. 

1903.  Protection  of  Gulls  and  Terns  in  Connecticut. — 

Auk,  xx,  i,  p»  117. 

1904.  Food  of  Screech  Owl. —  Bird-Lore,  vi,  5,  p.  180. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  221 

1905.  Game  Legislation  in  Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,  vii, 

3,  P-  183. 
1907.     Game  Legislation  in  Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,  ix, 

.      i,  P-  54- 
1907.     Game  Legislation  in  Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,  ix, 

2,  p.  101. 

1907.     Game  Legislation  in  Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,  ix, 

3,  p.  140. 

1907.     Game  Legislation  in  Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,  ix, 

4,  p.  188. 

1907.  Close  and  Open  Seasons  for  Wood  Ducks  in  1907. 

—  Bird-Lore,  ix,  4,  p.  192,  i  plate. 

1908.  Bird  Refuges  [in  Connecticut]. —  Bird-Lore,  x,  3, 

P-  145. 

1908.  Leasing  of  Willow  Island,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  x, 

4,  p.  191. 

1909.  Willow  Island  Fund. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  I,  p.  58. 
1909.     Legislation    in    Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,    xi,    3, 

p.  146. 

Dwight,  Jonathan,  Jr.,  M.D. 

1887.  Ammodramus    caudacutus    subvirgatus    taken    at 

Madison,  Conn.,  on  June  9th. —  Auk,  iv,  3,  p. 
236. 

1890.     The  Horned  Larks  of  North  America. —  Auk,  vii, 
2,  pp.  141-142. 

1906.  Status  and  Plumages  of  the  White-winged  Gulls  of 

the  Genus  Larus. —  Auk,  xxiii,  I,  p.  37. 

1907.  A  Sketch  of  the  Thrushes  of  North  America. — 

Bird-Lore,  ix,  3,  pp.  103-109. 

Eames,  Dr.  Edwin  H. 

1888.  Notes  on  Helminthophila  leucobronchialis. —  Auk, 

v,  4,  p.  427. 

1888.  Dendroica  ccerulea  at  Seymour,  Conn. —  Auk,  v,  4, 

P-  431- 

1889.  The  Blue-winged  Warbler  and  its  Allies  in  Con- 

necticut.—  Auk,  vi,  4,  pp.  305-310. 
1889.     The  Fish  Crow  in  Connecticut. — Auk,  vi,  4,  p.  338. 


222  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1890.     Food  and  Habits  of  the  Ruby-throated  Humming- 
bird.—  Auk,  vii,  3,  p.  286-288. 
1893.     Notes   from  Connecticut. —  Auk,  x,   i,  p.  89. 

Earnshaw,  Frank  L. —  See  Oldys,  Henry. 

Eaton,  Elon  Howard. 

1910.  Birds  of  New  York,  Part  L— New  York  State 

Museum,  Memoir  12. 

Edwards,  Stanley  W. 

1903.  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo's  Egg  in  a  Robin's  Nest. — 
Auk,  xx,  i,  p.  68. 

Elliott,  Daniel  Giraud,  D.Sc. 

1895.     North  American  Shore-Birds. 

1897.  The  Gallinaceous  Game  Birds  of  North  America. 

1898.  The  Wild  Fowl  of  the  United  States  and  British 

Possessions. 

Ells,  George  P. 

1907.  The  Starling  at  Norwalk,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  ix, 
5,  p.  207. 

Faxon,  Walter. 

1889.  On  the  Summer  Birds  of  Berkshire  County,  Mass. 
(Several  references  to  Connecticut  Species.)  — 
Auk,  vi,  i,  pp.  39-46. 

1911.  Brewster's   Warbler. —  Mem.    Mus.    Comp.    ZooL, 

xi,  2,  pp.  57-78,  i  plate. 

Fisher,  A.  K.,  M.D. 

1893.  The  Hawks  and  Owls  of  the  United  States  in  their 
Relation  to  Agriculture. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agricul- 
ture, Div.  Orn.,  Bull.  3. 

1901.  Two  Vanishing  Game  Birds. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agri- 
ture,  Yearbook,  pp.  447-458,  plates  Ixiii,  Ixiv. 

Flagg,  Wilson. 

1875.     The  Birds  and  Seasons  of  New  England. 
Fleming,  James  H. 

1907.  The  Unusual  Migration  of  Brunnich's  Murre  (Uria 
lomvia]  in  Eastern  North  America. —  Proc. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  223 

Fourth  Internal.  Orn.  Cong.,  1905,  pp.  528-543, 
plates. 

Flint,  H.  W. 

1887.  The  Connecticut  Warbler  in  Connecticut. —  O.  and 

O.,  xii,  10,  p.  176. 

1888.  Nesting  of  the  Blue-winged  Yellow  Warbler  at 

New  Haven,  Conn. —  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  II,  p.  173. 
1892.     Eggs  of  Warblers  in  Collection  of  H.  W.  Flint— 
O.  and  O,,  xvii,  9,  p.  138. 

1892.  Louisiana  Tanager  taken  at  New  Haven,  Conn. — 

O.  and  0.,  xvii,  12,  p.  187. 

1893.  Capture  of  the  Louisiana  Tanager  at  New  Haven, 

Conn. —  Auk,  x,  I,  p.  86. 

Forbush,  Edward  Howe. 

1907.     Game  Legislation  in  Connecticut  in  1907. —  Bird- 
Lore,  ix,  6,  p.  304. 
1909.     Establishing  a  State  Ornithologist  in  Connecticut. 

—  Bird-Lore,  xi,  6,  p.  299. 

1911.  Legislation  in  Connecticut  in  1911. —  Bird-Lore, 
xiii,  6,  pp.  346-347. 

Foster,   Lyman   S. 

1893.     Great  Blue  Heron  shot  at  Bridgeport  in  Jan.,  1884. 

—  Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  v,  p.  2. 

1896.  Capture  of  Hybrid  Sandpiper  in  Connecticut. — 
Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  viii,  p.  i. 

1896.  Capture  of  Lawrence's  and  Brewster's  Warblers, 
King  Rail,  &c.,  in  Connecticut. —  Abst.  Linn. 
Soc.,  N.  Y.,  viii,  p.  4. 

Fuller,    Edward. 

1891.  The  Barred  Owl. —  Oologist,  viii,  2,  p.  33. 
1891.  The  Cooper's  Hawk. —  Oologist,  viii,  3,  p.  62. 
1891.  The  American  Osprey. —  Oologist,  viii,  7,  pp.  145- 

147. 
Gates,  Harry  T. 

1879.     Goshawk  at  Hartford,  Dec.   13,    1878.—  Familiar 

Set.  and  Fanciers'  Journal,  vi,  2,  p.  24. 


224  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1879.     Rough-legged  Hawk  (  ?)  near  Hartford  in  June.— 
Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journal,  vi,  6,  p.  143. 

1881.  Red-headed  Woodpecker  at  Hartford.—  0.  and  O., 

vi,  10,  pp.  79-80. 

1883.     Notes  from  Hartford.— O.  and  0.,  viii,  I,  p.  8. 
Gentry,   Thomas   G. 

1876.     Life-Histories  of  the  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania, Vol.  I.    1877,  Vol.  II. 

1882.  Nests  and  Eggs  of  Birds  of  the  United  States. 
Gladwin,  Charles  O. 

1876.     Birds     of     Southern     Connecticut. —  Forest     and 
Stream,  vi,  8,  p  116;  12,  p.  180. 

Goff,  J.  L.  * 

1883.  -Nesting  Notes  from  Connecticut. —  O.  and  0.,  viii, 

p.  78. 
Goode,  G.  Brown,  LL.  D. 

1872.     A    Sea    Bird    Inland    [Alle    alle   at    Middletown, 
Conn.] — Am  Nat.,  vi,  I,  p.  49. 

Goodwin,  F.  M. 

1884.  Lanius    borealis    [Lanius    ludovicianus    mi  grans'] 

nesting  at  Hartland,  Conn.,  in  1881  [Hartland, 
Vermont.  Cf.  O.  and  0.,  ix,  4,  p.  48]. —  O.  and 
0.,  ix,  3,  p.  35. 

Graves,  Charles  B.,  M.  D. 

1892.     Notes    on    the    Louisiana    Water-Thrush. —  The 
Observer,  iii,  6,  pp.  175-176. 

Graves,  Frances  M. 

1907.     The  Starling  at  New  London,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore, 
ix,  5,  p.  209. 

Grinnell,  Dr.  George  Bird. 

1875.     The  Frigate  Bird  and  White  Ibis  in  Connecticut. — 

Am.  Nat.,  ix,  8,  p.  470. 
1880.     Winter   in    Connecticut.      (Colaptes   auratus   and 

Dendroica    palmarum    near    New    Haven.)  — 

Forest  and  Stream,  xiii,  p.  105. 
1901.     American  Duck  Shooting. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  225 

H.,  C.  R. 

1884.  White  Eggs  of  Bluebird.—  Young  Odlogist,  i,  10, 

p.  141. 

1885.  Submersion  of  Swallows. —  Young  Oologist,  ii,  i, 

p.  9. 

1889.  Peculiarities  in  Sets  and  Eggs  of  a  few  of  our 

Common  Birds. —  Odlogist,  vi,  4,  p.  73. 

H.,  G.  L. —  See  Hawley,  George  L. 
H.,  G.  S. —  See  Hawley,  George  L. 

Hagenaw,   O.  J. 

1890.  American  Raven  in  Connecticut. —  0.  and  O.,  xv, 

10,  p.  156. 
Hallock,  Charles. 

1877.     The  Sportsman's  Gazetteer  and  General  Guide. 

Hartford  Bird  Study  Club. 

1909.     Check-List,  with  Migration  List,  1909. 

Harvie-Brown,  John  A. 

1874.     A  Collection  of  North  American  Birds'  Eggs  and 
Skins,  formed  principally  by  the  Rev.   C.   M. 
Jones,  Connecticut. —  Proc.  Nat.  Hist.  Soc.  Glas- 
gow, Dec.  i,  1874. 
Hausman,  Leon  A. 

1904.     A  Bird-Quest. —  Warbler,  ii,  6,  pp.  83-84. 

1907.     Ecenomic  Value  of  Birds. —  Odlogist,  xxiv,  5,  pp. 

70-72. 
"  Hawk." 

1885.     Spotted  Robin  Eggs. —  Young  Odlogist,  i,   10,  p. 
144. 

1885.     Notes  from  Norwich,  Conn. —  Young  Odlogist,  i, 
n,  p.  154. 

Hawley,  George  L.  ("  G.  L.  H."  and  "  G.  S.  H.") 

1887.     Nesting  of  the  Whip-poor-will. —  O.  and  O.,  xii, 

9,  P.  155- 

1892.  Oological  Notes. —  O.  and  0.,  xvii,  7,  pp.  102-103. 

1893.  Abnormal  Coloring  of  a  Song  Sparrow's  Egg. — 

O.  and  0.,  xviii,  i,  p.  13. 
15 


226  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1893.     Large  Eggs  of  the  Field  Sparrow.—  O.  and  O., 
xviii,  6,  p.  95. 

Hayden,  Randolph  Lawrence. 

1901.  Whip-poor-will. —  Am.  Ornith.,  i,  9,  p.  186. 
Henshaw,  Henry  W. 

1910.     Report  of  the  Chief  of  the  Biological  Survey  for 
1910. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture. 

1912.  Report  of  the  Chief  of  the  Biological  Survey  for 

1912.— U.  S.  Dept  Agriculture. 

1913.  Federal  Law  for  the  Protection  of  Migratory  Birds. 

—  U.  S.  Dept  Agriculture,  Biol.  Surv. 
Hill,  James  H. 

1902.  Connecticut  Bird  Notes. —  Auk,  xix,  I,  p.  93. 

Hoag,  Benjamin. 

1897.     Are  Green  Eggs  of  the  Red-tailed  Hawk  Rare? — 
Osprey,  i,  6,  p.  78. 

Hoffman,  Ralph. 

1904.     A  Guide  to  the  Birds  of  New  England  and  Eastern 
New  York. 

Holbrook,  Judge  S.  T. 

1881.     Notes  from  Norwich,  Conn. —  O.  and  O.,  vi,  5,  pp. 

30-32- 
Honeywill,  Alfred  W.,  Jr. 

1907.     Photograph  of  a  Saw-whet  Owl  at  New  Haven. — 

Bird-Lore,  ix,  I,  p.  37. 

1907.  Prairie  Horned  Larks  in  Connecticut. — Bird-Lore, 

ix,  4,  p.  174. 

1908.  List  of  the  Birds  of  the  New  Haven  Region. — New 

Haven  Bird  Club,  Bull  I. 

Hornaday,  William  T,  Sc.D. 

1913.     Our  Vanishing  Wild  Life. 

Howe,  Reginald  Heber,  Jr. 

1899.  The  Hooded  Warbler  at  Montville,  Conn. —  Auk, 

xvi,  4,  p.  360. 

1900.  Rough-winged  Swallow  Breeding  in  Connecticut, 

and  other  Notes. —  Auk,  xvii,  4,  p.  389. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  227 

1900.  An  annotated  list  of  the  Birds  observed  along  the 
Thames  River,  Conn. —  The  Day  (New  Lon- 
don), Nov.  i,  1900,  p.  6. 

1903.  A  North  American  Faunal  Index  to  the  "  Ornith- 
ologist and  Oologist." —  Contrib.  to  N.  A. 
Ornith.,  i,  pp.  36-38. 

Howes,  Paul  G. 

1907.     The  English  Starling. —  Oologist,  xxiv,   3,   p.   44. 
1907.     The  English  Starling. —  Oologist,  xxiv,  8,  p.  123. 

1907.  Decrease    of    Baltimore    Oriole    at    Stamford. — 

Oologist,  xxiv,  9,  p.  140. 

1908.  The  Maryland  Yellow-throat. —  Oologist,  xxv,   i, 

P- 5- 

1908.  Notes  on  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo. —  Oologist,  xxv, 

n,  p.  171. 

1909.  On     Purple     Crackles     (Quiscalus     quiscula). — 

Oologist,  xxvi,  6,  p.  94. 
1909.     Notes     from     Southern     Connecticut. —  O  bio  gist, 

xxvi,  8,  p.  125. 

1909.     Bully  for  the  Starling. —  Oologist,  xxvi,  9,  p.  152. 
1909.     Old  Nesting  Site  of  a  Colony  of  Robins. —  Oologist, 

xxvi,  n,  p.  1 86. 
1909.     The    Carolina    Rail,    Nesting    near    Stamford. — 

Oologist,  xxvi,  n,  p.  190. 
1911.     Photograph  of  Nest  and  Eggs  of  Carolina  Rail. — 

Oologist,  xxviii,  5,  p.  90. 
1911.     Connecticut  News  Items. —  Oologist,  xxviii,  9,  pp. 

150-152. 

1911.     Correction. —  Oologist,  xxviii,  9,  p.  152. 
1911.     Accidental  Death  of  a  Sparrow. —  Odlogist,  xxviii, 

n,  pp.  169-170. 
1911.     Accidental  Death  of  a  Starling. —  Oologist,  xxviii, 

n,  pp.  172-173. 
1911.     Plates  of  Crustacea  from  Stomach  of  a  Starling. — 

Odlogist,  xxviii,  u,  pp.  174-175. 
1911.     A  Report  on  the  Woodpecker. —  Oologist,  xxviii, 

12,  pp.  194-201. 


228  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Hoyt,  William  H. 

1889.  European  Thrush  (Turdus  pilaris)  and  Lawrence's 
Warbler  at  Stamford. —  O.  and  O.,  xiv,  3,  p.  44. 

Huntington,  Dwight  W. 

1903.     Our  Feathered  Game. 

1910.     Our  Wild  Fowl  and  Waders. 

Hutchins,  Rev.  John. 

1900.  The  House  Wren  as  a  Depredator. —  Bird-Lore,  ii, 
3,  p.  89. 

1902.  The  Nesting  of  the  Yellow-throated  Vireo. —  Bird- 
Lore,  iv,  4,  pp.  1 20 1 22. 

1905.  A  Recent  Visit  of  the  Evening  Grosbeak. —  Bird- 
Lore,  vii,  3,  p.  173. 

1907.  The  Feeding  Habits  of  the  Blue  Jay. —  Bird-Lore, 

ix,  2,  p.  81. 

1908.  Pileated  Woodpecker  near  Litchfield,  Conn. —  Auk, 

xxv,  4,  p.  475. 

Ingersoll,  Ernest. 

1874.     Discovery   of  the   Water-Thrush's   Nest   in    New 

England. —  Am.  Nat.,  viii,  4,  pp.  238-239. 
1881.     Colaptes  auratus,  called  "  Yaffle  "  in  Connecticut— 

Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  vi,  3,  p.  184. 

Inquirer. 

1886.  Golden  Eagle  in  Connecticut. —  Forest  and  Stream, 
xxvii,  19,  p.  362. 

J.,  A.  W. 

1891.     Connecticut    Shore-birds. —  Am.    Field,    xxxv,    7, 

P.  I5i- 
Job,  Rev.  Herbert  K. 

1900.  The  American  Egret  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xvii, 

3,  P-  294. 

1901.  Photographing  the  Caprimulgidas. —  Osprey,  v.  4, 

PP-  5!-54. 
1901.     The  Pileated  Woodpecker  in  Connecticut — Auk, 

xviii,  2,  p.  193. 
1905.     Wild  Wings. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  22Q 

1907.  A  Thrashing  by  Thrashers. —  Bird-Lore,  ix,  6,  pp. 

241-244. 

1908.  The  Sport  of  Bird  Study.    Appendix  —  List  of  the 

Birds  Observed  in  Litchfield  County,  Conn. 
1910.     How  to  study  Birds. 

Jones,  Rev.  C.  M. 

1870.  The  Breeding  Habits  of  Birds. —  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  I, 
pp.  48-49. 

1876.  Breeding  of  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  in  Con- 
necticut.—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  i,  i,  pp.  11-13. 

1881.  Henslow's  Sparrow  Nesting  in  Northern  Con- 
necticut.—  0.  and  O.,  vi,  3,  pp.  17-18. 

1 88 1.  Black- throated  Blue  Warbler  in  Connecticut. — 
O.  and  0.,  vi,  7,  pp.  49-50. 

1883.  A  Pair  of  Mallards  shot  at  Eastford,  Conn.—  0. 

and  0.,  viii,  4,  p.  32. 

1884.  The  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  in  Connecticut— 

0.  and  0.,  ix,  3,  pp.  30-31. 

1886.  The  Connecticut  Warbler.—  0.  and  O.,  xi,  3,  pp. 

43-44- 

1887.  Nesting  of  Blue-headed  Vireo. —  O.  and  0.,  xii,  2, 

p.  26. 

1887.  Secured  a  Pure  Albino  Robin. —  O.  and  O.,  xii,  8, 

P.  134- 

1888.  The  White-breasted  Nuthatch.— O.  and  O.,  xiii, 

4,  PP.  57-58. 

1891.  Singular  Capture  of  a  Black-throated  Diver. —  O. 

and  O.,  xvi,  2,  p.  20. 

Jones,   George   C. 

1884.     Great  Northern  Diver.—  O.  and  0.,  ix,  6,  p.  76. 

Jones,  Prof.  Lynds. 

1892.  Report  of  the  President  for  the  Work  of  1891  on 

the  Fringillidoe. —  Wilson  Quarterly,  iv,  2,  pp. 
67-84. 

1900.  Warbler  Songs  (Mniotiltida) . —  Wilson  Bulletin, 
No.  30,  xii,  i,  pp.  1-56. 


23O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Judd,  Elmer  T. 

1889.     Climbing   of    a   young    Yellow-throated   Vireo. — 

O.  and  O.,  xiv,  8,  p.  128. 
Judd,  Robert  S. 
%       1907.     The  Starling  at  Bethel,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  ix,  5, 

p.  207. 
1908.     The    Prairie    Horned    Lark   in    Fairfield    County, 

Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  x,  3,  p.   129. 
Judge,  E.  W.,  Jr. 

1885.     A   Nest   Full   of   Eggs. —  Young   Oologist,   ii,   2, 

p.  28. 
Kimball,   S.  T. 

1883.     Song  Sparrow's  Nest,  and  Great  Northern  Shrike. 

—  O.  and  O.,  viii,  2,  p.  16. 

Knowles,  Rev.  W.  C. 

1905.  Where  the  Blue  Jays  find  a  Breakfast. —  Bird-Lore, 
vii,  3,  p.  178. 

Lacey,  Lottie  Alvard. 

1908.     Redpoll  Linnets. —  Bird-Lore,  x,  I,  pp.  10-13. 
1912.     A  Winter  Oriole. —  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  2,  p.  109. 

Langille,  Rev.  J.  Hibbert. 

1892.     Birds  in  their  Haunts. 

Lawrence,  George  N.  —  See  Baird,  Spencer  F. 

Lincoln,  C.  E. 

1891.     Notes  from  Middletown,  Conn. —  O.  and  O.,  xvi, 

9,  pp.  140-141. 
Linsley,  A.  M. 

1887.     Chipping  Sparrow  Nest  in  that  of  Baltimore  Oriole. 

—  Odlogist,  iv,  2,  p.  79. 

1889.     Notes  on  Connecticut  Birds. —  Oologist,  vi,  12,  pp. 

232-233. 

1891.     A  Rambling   Mixture   from   Connecticut    (Hens- 
i.      low's  Sparrow). —  Odlogist,  viii,  9,  pp.  179-180. 

Linsley,  Rev.  James  H. 

1843.  A  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut,  arranged 
according  to  their  Natural  Families. —  Am. 
Journ.  Sci.  and  Arts,  xliv,  2,  pp.  249-274. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  23! 

1844.     Additional    Notes    on    Connecticut    Birds. —  Am. 
Journ.  Sci.  and  Arts,  xlvi,  I,  p.  51. 

Lucas,  W.  H. 

1884.     Jottings   from   West   Stratford. —  Young  Oologist 

1,  7,  p.  103. 

1887.     Interesting  Notes  from  Connecticut. —  Oologist ,  iv 

2,  p.  84. 

1889.  Cape  May  Warbler  at  Bridgeport. —  O.  and  O 

xiv,  10,  p.  160. 

1890.  Woodcock  at  Bridgeport,  Jan.  26,  1890,  and  othe 

Records. —  O.  and  0.,  xv,  2,  p.  31. 

1891.  Florida  Gallinule  in  Connecticut   [Clapper  Rail] 

—  0.  and  0.,  xv.i,  10,  p.  149. 

M.,  J.  R. 

1884.     Black-capped  Chickadee. —  Young  Oologist,  i,  5,  p. 
70. 

McCook,  Philip  J. 

1897.     Capture  of  the  Little  Blue  Heron  in  Connecticut. — 

Auk,  xiv,  4,  p.  402. 
1897.     A  Brown  Crow    [at  Blackhall,   Conn.]. —  Osprey 

ii,  3,  p.  40- 
1905.     Little  Blue  Heron  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxii,  i, 

p.  76. 

Martin,  John  A. 

1884.     Spotted  Robin  Eggs. —  Young  Oologist,  i,  9,  p.  131. 

Maynard,  Charles  J. 

1890.     Eggs  of  North  American  Birds. 

1896.     Handbook  of  the  Sparrows,  Finches,  &c.,  of  New 

England. 
1896.     The  Birds  of  Eastern  North  America. 

Mearns,  Dr.  Edgar  A.,  U.  S.  A. 

1892.  A  Study  of  the  Sparrow  Hawks   (Subgenus  Tin- 

nunculus)  of  America,  with  especial  reference 
to  the  Continental  Species  (Falco  sparverius 
Linn.). —  Auk,  ix,  3,  pp.  252-270. 


232  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Meeker,  Jesse  C.  A. 

1897.  Nesting  Habits  of  the  Black-throated  Green  War- 

bler.—  Oologist,  xiv,  ii,  p.  99. 
1899.     Nesting  of  the  Blue-winged  Warbler. —  Oologist, 

xvi,  2,  p.  30. 
1906.     A   Male   Golden-winged  Warbler   Mated   with   a 

Female  Blue-winged  Warbler,  at  Bethel,  Conn. 

—  Auk,  xxiii,  i,  p.  104. 
Meg  Merrythought. 

1906.     Nesting  of   Killdeer  in   Northern   Connecticut. — 

Am.  Ornith.,  vi,  7,  pp.  173-174. 

Merriam,  C.  Hart,  M.D. 

1876.  Passerculus  princeps  and  Parus  hudsonicus  in  Con- 

necticut.—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  i,  2,  p.  52. 

1877.  A .  Review  of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut  with  Re- 

marks on  their  Habits. —  Trans.  Conn.  Ac  ad.,  iv, 
pp.  1-150. 

1878.  Early  Arrivals   [at  New  Haven]. —  Familiar  Sci. 

and  Fanciers'  Journ.,  v,  4,  p.  72. 

1878.  Correction:  Podiceps  cristatus  not  a  Connecticut 
Bird.—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  iii,  i,  p.  47. 

1884.  The  Coming  of  the  Robins  and  other  Early  Birds 

in     Southern     Connecticut. —  Science,     iv,     pp. 
571-572. 

1885.  Preliminary   Report   of   the    Committee   on    Bird 

Migration. —  Auk,  ii,  i,  pp.  53-65. 

1887.  Report   of   the   Ornithologist.— Ann.    Rep.    Dept. 

Agriculture  for  1886,  pp.  227-258. 

1888.  Report   of  the   Ornithologist.— Ann.   Rep.    Dept. 

Agriculture  for  1887,  pp.  399-456. 

1889.  Report  of  the  Ornithologist  and  Mammalogist. — 

Ann.  Rep.  Dept.  Agriculture  for  1888,  pp.  477- 
536. 

1898.  Life  Zones  and  Crop  Zones  of  the  United  States. — 

U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol.  Surv.,  Bull. 
10. 

1908.  Decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  on  the  Sale  of  Imported  Game. —  U.  S. 
Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol.  Survey,  Circular  67. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  233 

1908.  Report  of  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Biological 

Survey  for  1908. 

1909.  Report  of  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Biological 

Survey  for  1909. 

Mershon,  W.  B. 

1907.     The  Passenger  Pigeon. 

Metcalf,  Willard  L. 

1909.  Ruby-throated  Hummingbird  —  Two  Broods  from 
One  Nest. —  Oologist,  xxvi,  10,  p.  163. 

Minot,  Henry  D. 

1877.     The  Land  Birds  and  Game  Birds  of  New  England. 

1877.  Minot's  New  England  Birds:  Additions. —  Am. 
Nat.,  xi,  3,  p.  175. 

1881.  Notes  on  the  Migration  of  Birds  [in  Western  Con- 
necticut].—  Am.  Nat.,  xv,  pp.  870-872. 

1895.  The  Land  Birds  and  Game  Birds  of  New  England. 
Second  Edition.  Edited  by  William  Brewster. 

Morgan,  Albert. 

1907.     The  Starling  at  Wethersfield,  Conn, —  Bird-Lore, 

ix,  5,  p.  208.  y 

1909.     Two  Warbler  Photographs. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  5,  pp, 

206-208. 
1913.     A  Bird  Apartment  House. —  Bird-Lore,  xv,  3,  pp. 

I55-I57- 

Morris,  Robert  O. 

1894.     Rare  Visitations  to  the  Connecticut  Valley  in  1893. 

—  Auk,  xi,  2,  p.  181. 
1901.     The  Birds  of  Springfield  and  Vicinity. 

Morris,  Robert  T.,  M.D. 

1876.  Game  Birds  of  Connecticut. —  Forest  and  Stream, 
vii,  p.  116. 

1876.  Local  Nomenclature  [for  wild  fowl]  on  the  Con- 
necticut Coast. —  Forest  and  Stream,  vii,  p.  276. 

Morse,  Albert  P.,  M.D. 

1897.     List  of  Birds  of  Wellesley  [Mass.]. 


234  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Moulthrope,  George  E. 

1902.     The  Camera  against  a  Phoebe. —  Am.  Ornith.,  ii, 

PP-  338-34L 

• 

Munson,  Edward  L.,  M.D. 

1887.  Notes  from  New  Haven,  Conn. —  O.  and  O.,  xii, 

9,  p.  156. 

Munson,  S.  A. 

1882.  Golden    Eagle   taken   near   Hartford,   Conn. —  O. 

and  O.,  vi,  12,  p.  94. 

Neff,  Charles  H. 

1883.  The  Great  Carolina  Wren  in  Connecticut. —  Forest 

and  Stream,  xx,  8,  p.  47. 

1883.  Winter  and  Spring  Notes  1882-83  (Portland,  Con- 
necticut).—  Forest  and  Stream,  xx,  19,  4,  p.  364. 

1883.     Summer  Birds  in  Winter. —  O.  and  0.,  viii,  4,  p.  32. 

1883.  Least  Bittern  Nesting  at  Portland.— O.  and  0., 
viii,  n,  p.  86. 

1888.  List  of  the  Birds  of  Portland,  Conn.,  and  Vicinity. 

—  Middlesex  Co.  Record,  iv,  4,  5,  6,  7. 
1893.     Baltimore  Oriole  at  Portland,  Conn.,  Dec.  22,  1892. 
t      —  O.  and  O.,  xviii,  3,  p.  47. 

Nehrling,  Henry. 

1893.     Our  Native  Birds  of  Song  and  Beauty.    Vol.  i. 
1896.     Our  Native  Birds  of  Song  and  Beauty.    Vol.  ii. 

Nelson,  E.  W. 

1904.  A  Revision  of  the  North  American  Mainland 
Species  of  Myiarchus. —  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash., 
xvii,  pp.  21-50. 

New  Haven  Ornithological  Club. 

1888.     Founding. —  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  3,  p.  47. 

Norris,  J.   Parker. 

1886.     A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Red-tailed  Hawk.—  O.  and 

O.,  xi,  5,  pp.  67-69. 
1886.     The  Relative  Size  of  Eggs  of  the  Red-tailed  Hawk 

to  the  Parent  Birds.—  O.  and  O.,  xi,  8,  p.  118. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  235 

1887.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  Myiodioctes  mitratus. —  O. 

and  0.,  xii,  12,  pp.  200-201. 

1888.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  Parula  americana. —  O.  and 

O.,  xiii,  i,  pp.  2-5. 
1888.     A  Series  of  Eggs  of  Accipiter  fuscus. —  O.  and  0., 

xiii,  3,  pp.  34-37. 
1888.     Sets  of  Barred   Owl   collected   in   Connecticut. — 

0.  and  O.,  xiii,  3,  pp.  39-40. 

1888.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  Accipiter  cooperi. —  O.  and  0., 

xiii,  4,  pp.  51-52. 

1889.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  American  Woodcock. — 

O.  and  O.,  xiv,  8,  p.  119. 

1890.  A   Series   of  Eggs   of  the   Nashville  Warbler. — 

O.  and  O.,  xv,  2,  pp.  23-24. 
1890.     A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 

—  O.  and  O.,  xv,  4,  pp.  53-54. 

1890.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Marsh  Hawk. —  O.  and  O., 

xv,  5,  p.  72. 

1891.  A    Series   of    Eggs    of    Red-shouldered    Hawk. — 

0.  and  O.,  xvi,  i,  pp.  1-9. 
1891.     Some  Curious  Sets  of  the  Baltimore  Oriole's  Eggs. 

—  O.  and  O.,  xvi,  4,  p.  61. 

1891.     A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

—  0.  and  O.,  xvi,  8,  pp.  123-124. 

1891.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  the  Maryland  Yellow-throat. 

—  0.  and  O.,  xvi,  10,  pp.  150-152. 

1892.  A  Series  of  Eggs  of  Scarlet  Tanager. —  O.  and  O., 

xvii,  2,  pp.  21-22. 

1892.     A  Series  of  Eggs  of  Ovenbird. —  O.  and  0.,  xvii, 
5,  pp.  65-67. 

Nuttall,  Thomas. 

1832.     A  Manual  of  the  Ornithology  of  the  United  States 

and  Canada.    The  Land  Birds. 
1834.     A  Manual  of  the  Ornithology  of  the  United  States 

and  Canada.    The  Water  Birds. 
1891.     A  Popular  Handbook  of  the  Ornithology  of  Eastern 

North    America.      Revised    and    annotated    by 

Montague  Chamberlain. 


236  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Oberholser,  Harry  C. 

1902.  A  Review  of  the  Larks  of  the  Genus  Otocoris. — 
Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  xxiv,  pp.  801-884,  plates 
xliii-xlix. 

1904.  A  Revision  of  the  American  Great  Horned  Owls. — 
Proc.  U.  S.  Mus.,  xxvii,  pp.  177-192. 

1904.  A  Review  of  the  Wrens  of  the  Genus  Troglodytes. 

—  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  xxvii,  pp.  197-210. 
1906.     The  North  American  Eagles  and  their  Economic 
Relations. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol. 
Surv.,  Bull.  27. 

1911.  A  Revision  of  the  Forms  of  the  Hairy  Woodpecker, 

Dry  abates   villosus    (Linnaeus). —  Proc.    U.    S. 
Nat.  Mus.,  xl,  pp.  595-621. 

1912.  A  Revision  of  the  Subspecies  of  the  Green  Heron, 

Butorides  virescens   (Linnaeus). —  Proc.    U.  S. 
Nat.  Mus.,  xlii,  pp."  529-577. 

1912.  A  Revision  of  the  Forms  of  the  Great  Blue  Heron, 
Ardea  herodias  Linnaeus. —  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat. 
Mus.,  xliii,  pp.  531-559. 

Observer,  An. 

1891.     American  Sparrow  Hawk. —  Oologist,  viii,  I,  p.  6. 
1891.     Hermit  Thrush. —  Oologist,  viii,  4,  5,  pp.  91-92. 

Olds,  H.—  See  Palmer,  T.  S. 

Oldys,  Henry. 

1908.  Game  Protection  in  1907. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agri- 
culture, Yearbook  for  1907,  pp.  590-597. 

1910.  Introduction  of  the  Hungarian  Partridge  into  the 
United  States.—  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Year- 
book for  1909,  pp.  249-258. 

Oldys,  Henry,  Brewster,  C.  E.,  and  Earnshaw,  Frank  L. 

1910.  Game  Laws  for  1910. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 
Farmers'  Bull.  418. 

Palmer,  C.  H. 

1905.  Winter  Birds  seen  from  a  Window. —  Am.  Ornith., 

v,  5,  pp.  104-106. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  237 

Palmer,  Dr.  Theodore  S. 

1899.  Report  of  the  Acting  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Bio- 

logical Survey  for  1899. —  Report  of  Sec.  of 
Agriculture,  pp.  59-70. 

1900.  Legislation  for  the  Protection  of  Birds  other  than 

Game   Birds. —  U.    S.    Dept.   Agriculture,    Div. 

Biol.  Surv.,  Bull.  12. 
JQOO — 1912..     Directory  of   Officials  and  Organizations 

concerned   with   the   Protection   of    Birds    and 

Game. —  U.    S.    Dept.    Agriculture,    Div.    Bio!. 

Surv.,  Circulars  28,  33,  50,  53,  62,  65,  70,  74, 

83,  88. 
1904.     Hunting  Licenses. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div. 

Biol.  Surv.,  Bull.  19. 

1904.  Game  Protection  in  1904. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agricul- 

ture, Yeartook,  pp.  606-610. 

1905.  Recommendations  of  State  Game  Commissioners 

and  Wardens  for  1905. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agri- 
culture, Div.  Biol.  Surv.,  Circular  47. 

1905.  Game  Protection  in  1905. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agricul- 
ture, Yearbook,  pp.  611-617. 

1905.  Federal  Game  Protection.  A  Five  Years'  Retro- 
spect.—  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Yearbook  for 
1905,  PP-  541-562. 

1905.  Some  Benefits  the  Farmers  may  Derive  from  Game 
Protection. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Yearbook 
for  1904,  pp.  509-520. 

1907.  Game  Protection  in  1906. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agricul- 
ture, Yearbook  for  1906,  pp.  533-540. 

1909.  Progress  of  Game  Protection  in  1908. —  U.  S.  Dept. 
Agriculture,  Yearbook  for  1908,  Appendix,  pp. 
580-590. 

Palmer,  T.  S.,  Olds,  H.,  Williams,  R.  W.,  Jr.,  and  Brewster, 

C.  E. 

1900.  Laws  Regulating  the  Transportation  and  Sale  of 
Game. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol. 
Surv.,  Bull.  14. 


238  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1900.  Information  Concerning  Game ;  Seasons,  Shipment, 

and  Sale. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol. 
Surv.,  Circular  31. 

1901.  Digest  of  Game  Laws  for  1901. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agri- 

culture, Div.  Biol.  Surv.,  Bull.  16. 

1902.  Game  Laws  for  1902. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  160. 

1903.  Game  Laws  for  1903. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  180. 

1904.  Game  Laws  for  1904. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  207. 

1905.  Game  Laws  for  1905. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  230. 

1906.  Game  Laws  for  1906. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  265. 

1907.  Game  Laws  for  1907. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  308. 

1908.  Game  Laws  for  1908. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  336. 

1909.  Game  Laws  for  1909. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  376. 

1910.  Progress  of  Game  Protection  in  1909. —  U.  S.  Dept. 

Agriculture,  Div.  Biol.  Surv.,  Circular  73. 

1911.  Progress  of  Game  Protection  in  1910. —  U.  S.  Dept. 

Agriculture,  Div.  Biol.  Surv.,  Circular  80. 

1912.  Game  Laws  for  1912. —  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture, 

Farmers'  Bull.  510. 

1912.  Chronology  and  Index  of  the  more  important 
Events  in  American  Game  Protection  1776-1911. 
—  U.  S.  Dept.  Agriculture,  Div.  Biol.  Survey, 
Bull.  41. 

Pangburn,  Clifford  H. 

1907.  The  Starling  at  New  Haven,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore, 
ix,  5,  p.  207. 

1907.  Horned  Lark  Breeding  in  Connecticut. —  Bird- 
Lore,  ix,  5,  p.  217. 

1909.  The  Carolina  Wren  at  New  Haven,  Conn. —  Auk, 
xxvi,  2,  p.  195. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  239 

1909.  Unusual  Dates   for  Some   Birds  at  New   Haven, 

Conn. —  Auk,  xxvi,  2,  p.  198. 

Pangburn,  Clifford  H.  and  Dwight  B. 

1908.     List  of  the  Birds  of  the  New  Haven  Region. — 
New  Haven  Bird  Club,  Bull.  I. 

Pennant,  Thomas. 

1785.     Birds.     Arctic  Zoology,  Vol.  ii,  Class  ii. 

Pilliry,  Norman  B. 

1910.  Brewster's    Warbler    at    Waterbury. —  Bird-Lore, 

xii,  2,  p.  78. 

Platt,  Franklin, 

1887.     A  List  of  the  Birds  of  Meriden,  Conn. —  Trans. 

Meriden  Sci.  Ass.,  1885-6,  ii,  pp.  30-53. 
1889.     A  Supplementary  List  of  the  Birds  of  Meriden, 
Conn. —  Tfrans.    Meriden   Sci.   Ass.,    1889,    iii, 
p.  41. 

Porter,  Louis  H. 

1892.     Abnormal  Plumage  of  Habia  ludoviciana. —  Auk, 

ix,  3,  p.  302. 
1895.     Southern    Capture    of   Larus    leucopterus. —  Auk, 

xii,  i,  p.  76. 
1895.     Connecticut  Notes. —  Auk,  xii,  i,  p.  86. 

1907.  The  Breeding  Habits  of  Empidonax  virescens  in 

Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxiv,  I,  p.  99. 

1908.  Nesting  Habits  of  Birds  at  Stamford,  Conn.,  as 

affected  by  the  Cold  Spring  of  1907. —  Auk,  xxv, 
i,  pp.  16-21. 

1910.     Hermit    Thrush    Breeding    in    Litchfield    County, 
Conn. —  Auk,  xxvii,  4,  p.  461. 

Prior,  Charles  E. 

1882.  Thrushes. —  O.  and  O.,  vii,  22,  pp.  170-171. 

1883.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  Nesting  in  Jewett  City. — 

O.  and  O.,  viii,  9,  p.  71. 

1884.  Nest    of    the    Mockingbird    in    Connecticut. —  O. 

and  O.,  ix,  8,  pp.  94-95. 

1884.     Notes  from  Jewett  City,  Conn. —  O.  and  O.,  ix, 
8,  pp.  looioi. 


240  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1884.  The  Black  and  White  Creeper.—  0.  and  O.,  ix,  9, 
p.  109. 

1884.     Nest  of  the  Mockingbird  in   Connecticut,  and  a 

Queer  Nesting  Place. —  O.  and  O.,  ix,  9,  p.  115. 
Purdie,  Henry  A. 

1873.  Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  New 
England. —  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  n,  pp.  692-693. 

1877.  Notice  of  a  Few  Birds  of  Rare  or  Accidental 
Occurrence  in  New  England. —  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn. 
Club,  ii,  i,  pp.  20-22. 

1879.  The  Great  Carolina  Wren  in  Connecticut. —  Bull. 
Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  iv,  i,  p.  61. 

1897.  A  Record  of  Additional  Specimens  of  the  White- 
throated  Warbler  (Helminthophaga  leucobron- 
chialis). —  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  iv,  3,  p.  184. 

Pynchon,  W.  H.  C. 

1900.  Every-day  Study  of  Birds,  etc. —  Bird-Lore,  ii,  i, 
pp.  19-22., 

R. 

1884.     Blue  Jay.    Brown  Thrush. —  Young  Oologist,  i,  3, 

P-  37- 
Rawson,  Calvin  L.     (Jennie  May  Whipple.) 

1875.  Baltimore  Oriole. —  O.  and  O.,  i,  4,  pp.  28-29. 
1875-1876.     The  Season  of  '75. —  0.  and  O.,  i,  12,  p.  83, 

and  ii,  I,  pp.  1-2. 

1876.  Trochilus  colubris. —  O.  and  O.,  ii,  2,  pp.  9-10. 

1876.  Hawk  Breeding  and  Mating. —  O.  and  O.,  ii,  4, 

pp.  25-26. 

1877.  Wise  as  an  Owl,  or  Stupid  as  an  Owl  —  which?  — 

O.  and  O.,  iii,  I,  pp.  1-2. 

1878.  Professional  Oologists. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fan- 

ciers' Journ.,  v,  4,  p.  75. 

1878.  Woodcock  killed  by  Telegraph  Wires .— Familiar 
Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ.,  v,  5,  p.  94. 

1878.  The  Season  of  '78. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers' 
Journ.,  v,  6,  p.  112. 

1878.  The  End  of  the  Season. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fan- 
ciers' Journ.,  v,  7,  p.  134. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  241 

1879.  The  Oologist  in  Winter. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fan- 
ciers' Journ.,  vi,  2,  pp.  23-24. 

1879.  Illogical  or  Oological. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers' 
Journ.,  vi,  3,  pp.  39-40. 

1879.  Field  Notes. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ., 
vi,  4,  p.  60. 

1879.  The  Early-breeding  Birds. —  Familiar  Sci.  and 
Fanciers'  Journ.,  vi,  5,  p.  80. 

1879.     Hawking. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ. ,  vi, 

6,  pp.  95-96. 
1879.     The(  Waning  Season. —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers' 

Journ.,  vi,  8,  p.  126. 
1879.     The    Close    of   the    Season. —  Familiar    Sci.    and 

Fanciers'  Journ.,  vi,  9,  pp.  142-143. 

1879.  Fugitive    Notes. —  Familiar    Sci.    and    Fanciers' 

Journ.,  vi,  10,  pp.  158-159. 

1880.  The  Season  of  1880  — The  Oologist.—  O.  and  O., 

v,  8,  pp.  57-58. 

1880.  November  Notes  — The  Oologist—  0.  and  0.,  v, 

10,  pp.  77-78. 

1881.  The  Season  of  '81.—  O.  and  O.,  vi,  5,  pp.  37-38. 
1881.     Close  of  the  Season. —  0.  and  O.,  vi,  7,  pp.  54-55. 

1 88 1.  Cooper's  Hawk. —  0.  and  O.,  vi,  17,  pp.  73-74.     . 

1882.  Sharp-shinned    Hawk. —  O.    and    O.,   vi,    12,    pp. 

89-91. 

1882.     Hints  to  Collectors. —  O.  and  O.,  vii,  15,  pp.  117- 

118. 
1882.     Great  Horned  Owl's  Nest  and  Eggs.—  O.  and  O., 

vii,  16,  p.  125. 

1882.  Fresh  Work  in  an  Old  Field  [Eggs  of  Nashville 

Warbler]. —  O.  and  O.,  vii,  22,  p.  173. 

1883.  Nest  with  Four  Chat's  and  Three  Cowbird's  Eggs. 

—  0.  and  O.,  viii,  2,  p.  15. 
1883.     Bluebird  all  the  Year  at  Norwich.— O.  and  0., 

viii,  2,  p.  15. 

1883.     An  Icy  Nest.—  O.  and  0.,  viii,  6,  p.  48. 
1883.     An  April  Walk. —  0.  and  O.,  viii,  6,  pp.  44-45. 
1883.     Among  the  Buteos. —  O.  and  0.,  viii,  3,  pp.  17-18. 
1883.     The  Hawks  of  '83.—  0.  and  0.,  viii,  n,  p.  85. 
16 


242  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1884.     The  Marsh  Hawk  and  its  Eggs. —  O.  and  0.,  ix, 

1,  p.  8;  2,  p.  16. 

1884.     Gastro-oological. —  O.  and  O'.t  ix,  5,  pp.  57-58. 

1884.  Migration  and  Breeding  Notes. —  O.   and  O.,  ix, 

6,  pp.  68-69. 

1885.  An  1884  Hawk  List. —  O.  and  O.,  x,  2,  pp.  24-25. 
1885.     Notes   from  Norwich,   Conn. —  O.   and   O.,  x,   5, 

P.  74- 

1885.  Hawking. —  O.  and  O.,  x,  6,  p.  89. 

1886.  Owl  versus  Hawk.—  O.  and  O.,  xi,  6,  pp.  84-85. 

1886.  Pleasant!  —  O.  and  O.,  xi,  7,  p.  102. 

1887.  City  Singers. —  O.  and  O.,  xii,  3,  pp.  40-41. 

1887.     Night    Heron's    Nest.— O.    and    O.,    xii,    7,    pp. 
112-113. 

1887.  The  Golden   Eagle  in   Connecticut— 0.   and  0., 

xii,  12,  p.  206. 

1888.  Icterus  spurius  —  Eastern  Race. —  Oologist,  v,  3, 

P.  37- 
1888.     The   Parula  Warbler  — its   Nest  and   Eggs.— 0. 

and  O.,  xiii,  i,  pp.  1-2. 
1888.     Nesting  of  the  Barred  Owl.—  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  3, 

PP.  37-38. 
1888.     In  Embryo.—  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  5,  pp.  78-80. 

1888.  Afield.—  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  6,  pp.  83-85. 

1889.  Easter  Hawks'  Eggs. —  O.  and  O.,  xiv,  6,  pp.  81-83. 

1890.  A  Wet  Day  with  the  Marsh  Hawks.—  O.  and  0., 

xv,  3>  PP.  33-34. 

1891.  The  Birds  of  Long  Point. —  O.  and  O.,  xvi,  4,  pp. 

59-61. 
1897.     Another  Golden  Eagle  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xiv, 

2,  p.  215. 

1905-1910.     The  Quail  Trap.—  Oologist,  xxii,  3,  p.  39; 

7,  p.  104;  n,  p.  170;  xxiii,  6,  p.  86;  xxiv,  3,  p. 
38;  9>  P.  135;  ii,  P-  170;  i2,  P.  185;  xxv,  2,  p. 
25;  11,  p.  167;  xxvi,  2,  p.  21 ;  4,  p.  58;  xxvii,  n, 
p.  129. 

Raymond,  D.  W. 

1891.     The  Green  Heron. —  Oologist,  viii,  I,  p.  13. 


No.  2O.]     '  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  243 

Reed,  Chester  A. 

1903.  Color  Key  to  North  American  Birds. 

1904.  North  American  Birds'  Eggs. 

1904.  A  Check  List  and  Habitat  Map. —  Am.  Ornith.,  iv, 
8,  pp.  209-227. 

Rich,  Walter  H. 

1907.     Feathered  Game  of  the  Northeast. 

Ridgway,    Robert. 

1887.     A  Manual  of  North  American  Birds. 

1896.  A    Manual    of    North    American    Birds.      Second 

Edition. 

1901.  The  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.    Part  i. — 

Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  50. 

1902.  The  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.    Part  ii. 

-  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  50. 

1904.  The  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.    Part  iii. 

-  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  50. 

1907.     The  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.    Part  iv. 

-  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  50. 

1911.     The  Birds  of  North  and  Middle  America.    Part  v. 

-Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  50. 
See  also  Baird,  Spencer  F. 

Roberts,  George,  Jr. 

1897.  Tyrant   Flycatchers   in   New  England. —  Oologist, 

xiv,  4,  pp.  39-41. 

Rogers,  Ruth. 

1905.  Notes    on    Winter    Feeding. —  Bird-Lore,    vii,    5, 

p.  241. 

Royce,  E.  D. 

1890.  Two  Instances  of  Strange  Co-habitation.  Wood 
Thrush  and  White-eyed  Vireo. —  Oologist,  vii, 
8,  p.  158. 

Sage,  John  H. 

1878.  Birds  of  the  Garden  and  Orchard. —  The  Constitu- 
tion (Middletown,  Conn.),  xli,  15. 

1878.  Birds  of  the  Garden  and  Orchard. —  Familiar  Sci. 
and  Fanciers'  Journ,,  v,  3,  pp.  50-51. 


244  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1879.  Field  Notes.  —  Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ., 

vi,  4,  p.  60  ;  5,  p.  80. 

1880.  King  Rail  at  Portland,  Sept.  nth,  1879.—  Forest 

and  Stream,  xiv,  6, 

1881.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  —  O.  and  O.,  vi,  I,  p.  5. 

1881.  Birds  and  Windows.—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  vi, 

3,  p.  188. 

1  88  1.  A  Sparrow  Hawk  Breeding  in  a  Barn,  and  Capture 
of  Accipiter  fuscus  in  Winter.  —  O.  and  0.,  vi,  i, 
p.  6.  • 

1882.  Spring  Notes.  —  Forest  and  Stream,  xviii,   16,  p. 


1882.  Golden-winged  Warbler  [in  Connecticut].  —  0.  and 

0.,  vii,  p.  141. 

1883.  White  Heron  (Herodias  alba  egrettd)  shot  at  Say- 

brook,  Conn.  —  O.  and  0.,  viii,  I,  p.  4. 
1883.     Snowy  Owl  shot  at  Portland,  Nov.  i8th.—  0.  and 

O.,  viii,  I,  p.  4. 
1883.     Black   Snowbird  —  Junco   hyemalis.  —  O.   and  0., 

viii,  2,  p.  14. 
1883.     Pine  Grosbeaks  and  Snowy  Owl  at  Portland.  —  O. 

and  0.,  viii,  3,  p.  24. 
1883.     Lapland  Longspur  taken  near  Portland,  Jan.  26, 

1883.—  O.  and  O.,  viii,  6,  p.  42. 
1883.     Capture  of  the  Great  Carolina  Wren  (Thryothorus 

ludovicianus)  in  Connecticut  in  March.  —  Bull. 

Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  viii,  2,  p.  120. 
1883.     Capture  of  the  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher  (Polioptila 

ccerulea)     in    Connecticut.  —  Bull.    Nutt.    Orn. 

Club,  viii,  3,  p.  179. 

1883.  A  Partial  Albino  Short-eared  Owl   (Asia  accipi- 

trinus)  in  Connecticut.  —  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club, 
viii,  3,  p.  183. 

1884.  Another   Example   of   Helminthophila   leucobron- 

chialis  from  Connecticut.  —  Auk,  i,  I,  p.  91. 

1885.  Return  of  Robins  to  the  Same  Nesting  Places.  — 

Auk,  ii,  3,  p.  304. 

1885.     Helminthophila  leucobronchialis  from  Connecticut. 
—  Auk,  ii,  3,  p.  304. 


NO.  20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  245 

1885.  Nesting  of  the  Worm-eating  Warbler  in  Southern 

Connecticut — Auk,  ii,  3,  p.  305. 

1886.  Icterus   galbula   in    Connecticut    in    November. — 

Auk,  iii,  i,  p.  135. 
1886.     A  Partial  Albino  Hermit  Thrush.—  Auk,  iii,  3,  p. 

282. 
1886.     Lincoln's  Sparrow  and  the  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher 

in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  iii,  4,  p.  487. 

1886.  Carolina  Wren  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  iii,  4,  p.  489. 

1887.  Birds  about  our  Homes. —  Middlesex  Co.  Record 

(Portland,  Conn.),  May  20. 
1887.     Middletown,   Conn.,   Glossy  Ibis   of   1850. —  Auk, 

iv,  3,  p.  253. 
1889.     The  Interbreeding  of  Helminthophila  pinus  and  H. 

chrysoptera. —  Auk,  vi,  3,  p.  279. 
1889.     Snowy  Owl  in  Connecticut. —  Forest  and  Stream, 

xxxiii,  21,  p.  405. 

1889.  A  Flight  of  Hawks.—  A bst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  i, 

p.  6. 

1890.  Some  Winter  Birds. —  The  Observer,  i,  i,  p.  5. 
1890.     Black  Guillemot  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  vii,  3,  p. 

283. 

1890.     Diurnal  Birds  of  Prey  [found  at  Portland,  Conn.]. 

—  The  Observer,  i,  2,  p.  25. 

1890.  Evening  Grosbeaks   in  Connecticut. —  Forest  and 

Stream,  xxxiv,  10,  p.  187. 

1891.  Ammodramus  caudacutus  nelsoni  and  A.  c.  sub- 

virgatus  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  viii,  i,  p.  115. 
1893.     Notes   on   some   Connecticut   Birds. —  Auk,   x,   2, 

pp.  206-207. 
1893.     Notes     on     Helminthophila     chrysoptera,     pinus, 

leucobronchialis,  and  lawrencei,  in  Connecticut. 

—  Auk,  x,  2,  pp.  208-209. 

1893.     The  Summer  Tanager  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  x,  3, 

P-  303- 

1893.  Notes   on    some   Connecticut   Birds. —  Auk,   x,   4, 

P-  371. 

1894.  Albino      [Red-winged]      Blackbird. —  Forest     and 

Stream,  xlii,  13,  p.  267. 


246  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1894.     Notes  on   some   Connecticut   Birds. —  Auk,  xi,   2, 
p.  181. 

1894.  Migrating  Warblers  [at  Portland]. —  The  Observer, 

v,6. 

1895.  A  Swallow  Roost  near  Portland,  Conn. —  Auk,  xii, 

i,  p.  83. 

1895.     A  Chimney  Swift's  Nest. —  The  Observer,  vi,  5. 
1895.     A  Sora  Caught  by  a  Mussel. —  Auk,  xii,  3,  p.  297. 
1895.     Nesting    of    Helminthophila    leucobronchialis    in 

Connecticut. —  Auk,  xii,  3,  p.  307. 
1895.     Notes  on  some  Connecticut  Birds. —  Auk,  xii,  3, 

p.  310. 

1895.     A  Sora  Caught  by  a  Mussel. —  The  Nautilus,  ix,  5. 
1895.     The  White-winged  Scoter  (Oidemia  deglandi)   [at 

Portland]. —  The  Observer,  vi,  n. 
1898.     List  of  Birds  found  about  my  house  at  Portland, 

Conn. 

1898.  Goshawks  at  Portland  in  Jan.,  1898. —  Abst.  Linn. 

Sac.,  N.  Y.,  x,  p.  5. 

1899.  Fall  Migration  at  Portland,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  i, 

4,  p.  128. 

1899.  Great  Migration  Wave  at  Portland  on  May   18, 

1898. —  Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xi,  p.  5. 

1900.  Spring  Migration  at  Portland,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore, 

ii,  2,  pp.  56-57. 

1900.  Tennessee  Warbler  and  Pigeon  Hawks  at  Portland. 

—  Abst.  Linn.  Soc.,  N.  Y.,  xii,  p.  4. 

1901.  February  Bird  Life  in  the  Vicinity  of  Hartford. — 

Hartford  Times,  Feb.  6. 

1901.  List  of  Birds  [found  about  my  house  at  Portland, 

with  additions] . —  Nature  Study  Manual  of  the 
Public  Schools  of  Middletown,  Conn.,  pp.  42-45. 

1902.  Spring  Migration.     Average  Dates  of  Arrival  of 

Birds    within    Fifteen    Miles    of    Hartford. — 

Hartford  Scientific  Society. 

1904.     Cold  Weather  Visitors. —  Hartford  Times,  Feb.  29. 
1904.     April  Bird  Life  in  the  Vicinity  of  Hartford,  Conn. 

—  Hartford  Sci.  Soc. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  247 

1906.  The  Baltimore  Oriole — dates  of  first  appearance  at 

Portland. — Penny  Press   (Middletown,  Conn.), 

May  9. 

1908.     Purple  Crackles. —  Hartford  Courant,  March    13. 
1908.     Arrival  of  the  Fox  Sparrow. —  Hartford  Courant, 

March  18. 

1908.  Willow  Island,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  x,  4,  pp.  189-191. 

1909.  Pine  Grosbeaks. —  Hartford  Courant,  Jan.  20. 

1909.  The  Black  Gyrfalcon  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxvi, 

4,  pp.  429-430- 

1910.  About    Mockingbirds    [in    Hartford]. —  Hartford 

Courant,  April  25. 

1911.  Dates  of  Arrival  of  the  Baltimore  Oriole  (Icterus 

galbula)  at  Portland,  for  forty  years. 

1912.  Fox      Sparrows. —  Penny      Press      (Middletown, 

Conn.),  March  29. 
1912.     Starling  Habits. —  Forest  and  Stream,  Ixxviii,  13, 

p.  407. 
1912.     Holbcell's  Grebe  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxix,  2,  p. 

233- 

St.  John,  Prof.  Edward  P. 

1911.     Evening    Grosbeaks    at    Hartford,    Conn. —  Bird- 
Lore,  xiii,  2,  p.  94. 

1911.     Mockingbird  Wintering  in  West  Hartford,  Conn. — 

Bird-Lore,  xiii,  2,  p.  97. 
Samuels,  E.  A. 

1872.     Birds  of  New  England  and  Adjacent  States.    Sixth 
Edition. 

Sanford,  Leonard  C.,  M.  D. 

1903.     The  Water- Fowl  Family. 

Saunders,  A.  A. 

1907.  Starling  at  New  Haven,  Conn. —  Bird-Lore,  ix,  5, 

p.  207. 

1908.  Growth   of  Young   Black-billed   Cuckoos. —  Bird- 

Lore,  x,  5,  p.  205. 

1908.     List  of  the  Birds  of  the  New  Haven  Region. — New 
Haven  Bird  Club,  Bull.  I. 


248  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1911.     A  Study  of  the  Nesting  of  the  Cedar  Waxwing. — 
Auk,  xxviii,  3,  pp.  323-329. 

Schaller,  Carleton. 

1905.     Two   Weeks    with    the    Birds    in    Kent,    Conn. — 
Wilson  Bulletin,  No.  52,  xvii,  3,  pp.  97-99. 

Schwab,  Rev.  L.  H. 

1899.     An  Odd  Nesting  Site. —  Bird-Lore,  i,  5,  p.  166. 

Schwarz,  E.  A. —  See  Barrows,  Walter  B. 

Scott,  William  E.  D. 

1905.  On  the  Probable  Origin  of  certain  Birds. —  Science, 
N.  S.,  xxii,  pp.  271-282.  *• 

Selinger,  Mrs.  W. 

1897.  The  Nest  Building  of  the  Swallows. —  Oologist, 
xiv,  3,  p.  29. 

Seton,  Ernest  Thompson. 

1909.     The  Hollow  Tree. —  Bird-Lore,  xi,  I,  pp.  1-3. 

Shailer,  Laura  B. 

1904.     Tame  Hummingbirds. —  Am.  Ornith.,  iv,  i,  p.  31. 

Shailer,  Minnie  L. 

1903.  From  Our  Mail  Bag. —  Am.  Ornith.,  iii,  2,  p.  78. 

Shelton,  G.  H. 

1888.  Kingfishers  in  Winter  [in  Connecticut]. —  Forest 
and  Stream,  xxx,  p.  104. 

Shufeldt,  Robert  W.,  M.D. 

1886.  Contribution  to  the  Comparative  Osteology  of  the 
Trochilidae,  Caprimulgidse,  and  Cypselidse. — 
Proc.  Zool  Soc.  London,  1885,  pp.  886-915. 

1888.  Morphological  Studies  of  the  Macrochires. —  Lin- 
nean  Soc.  Journ.,  London,  xx,  pp.  299-394. 

1893.     On  the  Mechanism  of  the  Upper  Mandible  in  the 

Scolopacidae. —  Ibis,  Oct.,  1893. 
Smith,  Clara  C. 

1899.     The  Tragedy  of  a  Nest. —  Osprey,  iii,  9,  135. 

Smith,  Elbert  E. 

1904.  The  New  Year's  Bird  Census  at  Bristol. —  Wilson 

Bulletin,  No.  46,  xvi,  I,  p.  16. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  249 

Smith,  Harriet  S. 

1905.     Notes    on    Winter    Feeding. —  Bird-Lore,    vii,    5, 
p.  240. 

Smith,  Wilbur  F. 

1903.     The  Carolina  Wren  at  South  Norwalk,  Conn. — 

Bird-Lore,  v,  5,  p.  163. 
1905.     An  Interesting  Phoebe's  Nest. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  2, 

p.  144. 
1905.     Blue  Jays  at  Home. —  Bird-Lore,  vii,  6,  p.  268. 

1905.  Taming  a  Young  Cowbird. —  Am.   Ornith,  v,   7, 

pp.  ^a-w- 

1906.  The  Blue  Jay. —  Am.  Ornith.,  vi,  I,  pp.  6-8. 
1906.     Photographing  a  Red-tailed  Hawk's  Nest. —  Bird- 
Lore,  viii,  4,  p.  138. 

1908.     The  Value  of  the  Starling. — Bird-Lore,  x,  2,  p.  79. 
1911.     The  Friendly  House  Wrens. —  Bird-Lore,  xiii,  3, 

pp.  135-140. 
1911.     A   Strange  Partnership. —  Bird-Lore,   xiii,  6,   pp. 

303-304. 

1911.  Notes     from     Connecticut. —  Bird-Lore,     xiii,     6, 

P-  307. 

1912.  Prothonotary  Warbler  in  Connecticut  in  November. 

—  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  2,  p.  109. 

1912.     Bird   Notes   from   South   Norwalk,   Conn. —  Bird- 
Lore,  xiv,  2,  p.  114. 

1912.     An  Eagle  Story. —  Bird-Lore,  xiv,  4,  p.  228. 

Stannis,  J.  A. 

1879.     Rough-winged    Swallow    in    Connecticut. —  Bull. 
•   Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  iv,  2,  p.  119. 

Stearns,  Wilfred  A. 

1881.     Oscines.— New  England  Bird  Life,  Part  I. 

1883.     Non-Oscine  Passeres,  Birds  of  Prey,  Game,  and 

Water  Birds.— New  England  Bird  Life,  Part 

II. 

Stone,  Witmer,  D.Sc. 

The   Molting   of    Birds,   with    Special   Reference   to   the 
Plumages  of  the  Smaller  Land  Birds  of  Eastern 


25O  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HTST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

North  America. —  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phil., 
Jan.,  1896,  pp.  108-167. 

Studer,  Jacob  H. 

1903.     The    Birds    of    North    America.      [Young    Rails 

(Soras)  caught  at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  in  June. 

p.  4.] 
T.,  W.  G. 

1885.  Interesting  Happenings. —  Young  Oologist,  ii,    I, 

p.  22. 
Taylor,  H.  H. 

1895.  Baird's  Sandpiper  on  Long  Island  Sound  [Bridge- 

port, Conn.]. —  Auk,  xii,  2,  p.  179. 

1896.  The  Carolina  Wren  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xiii,  I, 

p.  84. 

Thayer,  Gerald  H. 

1906.  A  Brief  General  Classification  of  the  Songs  of 
Eastern  North  American  Wood  Warblers. — 
Bird-Lore,  viii,  2,  pp.  64-65. 

Thompson,  Charles  A. 

1883.     Horned  Grebe  in  Connecticut. —  O.  and  0.,  viii,  I, 

P-3- 
Townsend,  Charles  W.,  M.  D. 

1909.  A  Carolina  Wren  Invasion  of  New  England. — 
Auk,  xxvi,  3,  pp.  263-269. 

Treat,  Willard  E. 

1886.  Notes  on  Winter  Birds  of  East  Hartford,  Conn. — 

Ho  osier  Naturalist,  i,  p.  129. 

1886.  White  Eggs  of  the  Blackbird.—  O.  and  O.,  xi,  4, 

P-  53- 

1887.  Capture   of  Three   Rare   Birds   near  Hartford. — 

Auk,  iv,  i,  p.  78. 

1887.  Xanthocephalus  xanthocephalus. —  Auk,  iv,  3,  p. 
256. 

1887.  Spizella  pusilla  Wintering  near  Hartford,  Conn. — 

Auk,  iv,  3,  p.  259. 

1888.  Helminthophila    celata    in    Connecticut. —  Auk,    v, 

3,  P-  323- 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  2$ I 

1889.     A  Fishing  Screech  O\v\.-—Auk,  vi,  2,  p.  189. 

1889.  Food  of  the  Shrike.—  O.  and  O.,  xiv,  5,  pp.  75-76. 

1890.  Mortality   among   Bank   Swallows. —  Auk,   vii,    I, 

p.  96. 

1891.  Anas  crecca  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  viii,  I,  p.  112. 

1892.  Ereunctes  occidentalis  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  ix, 

4,  P-  389- 

1893.  Unusual  Habits  of  Lincoln's  Sparrow. —  Auk,  x, 

2,  p.  206. 

1894.  Phalaropus  lobatus   (a  correction). —  Auk,  xi,   I, 

P.  74- 

1895.  Brunnich's   Murre   in   Connecticut. —  Auk,   xii,   2, 

p.  177. 

Trotter,  Spencer,  M.  D. 

1909.     The  Geological  and  Geographical  Relations  of  the 

Land-Bird  Fauna  of  Northeastern  America. — 

Auk,  xxvi,  3,  pp.  221-233. 
1912.     The  Faunal  Divisions  of  Eastern  North  America 

in  Relation  to  Vegetation. —  Journ.  Acad.  Nat, 

Sci.,  Phil.,  second  series,  xv,  pp.  207-218. 

Trowbridge,  Prof.  C.  C. 

1887.  Something  New  alx>ut  the  Flight  of  Birds. —  0. 

and  O.,  xii,  12,  p.  202. 
18945     On  Motion  of  Tips  of  Bill  in  Certain  Shore-Birds. 

—  Ibis,  Sixth  Series,  vi,  3,  pp.  449-451. 
1895.     Hawk  Flights  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xii,  3,  pp. 

259-270. 
1897.     Occurrence    of    Tryngites    subruficollis    in    New 

England. —  Auk,  xiv,  2,  p.  209. 
1902.     The  Relation  of  Wind  to  Bird  Migration. —  Am. 

Nat.,  xxxvi,  429,  pp.  735-753. 
1906.     On     the     Interlocking    of    Emarginate     Primary 

Feathers  in  Flight. —  Am.  Journ.  Sci.,  xxi,  pp. 

145-169. 

Trumbull,  Gurdon. 

1888.  Names    and    Portraits    of    Birds    which    interest 

Gunners. 


252  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1890.     American  Woodcock. —  Forest  and  Stream,  xxxv, 
21,  p.  412. 

1892.  Our  Scoters. —  Auk,  ix,  2,  pp.  153-160. 

1893.  Our  Scoters. —  Auk,  x,  2,  pp.  165-176. 

Tuttle,  H.  E. 

1911.     The  Nesting  of  the  Whip-poor-will. —  Bird-Lore, 
xiii,  5,  pp.  235-238. 

Van  Name,  Willard  G. 

1888.     Occurrence  of  the  Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker  at 

New  Haven,  Conn. —  O.  and  O.,  xiii,  9,  p.  135. 
1901.     A  Connecticut  Game  Preserve. —  Bird-Lore,  iii,  3, 

P-  US- 
Verrill,  Prof.  Addison  E. 

1865.     Cliff  Swallows  at  Windsor,  Conn.,  in  1830. —  Proc. 

Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  ix,  p.  277. 
1897.     Golden   Eagle  taken  near   New   Haven,   Conn. — 

Auk,  xiv,  I,  p.  89. 

Verrill,  Alpheus  H. 

1888.     The  Philadelphia  Vireo  in  Connecticut. —  O.  and 

0.,  xiii,  7,  p.  103. 

1893.     Winter  Birds  in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  x,  2,  p.  207. 
1893.     Connecticut  Notes. —  Auk,  x,  3,  p.  305. 
1893.     Connecticut  Notes. —  Auk,  x,  4,  p.  371. 

Verrill,  George  E. 

1892.  Carduelis    elegans   in    Connecticut. —  Auk,    ix,    3, 

p.  301. 

Voorhees,  Clark  G. 

1893.  Occurrence  and  Breeding  of  the  Kentucky  War- 

bler in  Connecticut — Auk,  x,  i,  p.  86. 

1894.  Connecticut  Notes. —  Auk,  xi,  3,  p.  259. 

W.,  J.  M. —  See  Rawson,  Calvin  L. 

Wade,  Joseph  M. 

1881.     A  Tame  Wild  Blue  Jay.—  O.  and  O.,  vi,  5,  p.  36. 
1883.     Crow  and  Snake. —  O.  and  0.,  viii,  2,  p.  n. 
1883.     Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler's  Nest—  O.  and  O., 
viii,  2,  pp.  12-13. 


No.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  253 

1883.     Bobolinks  (editorial). —  O.  and  O.,  viii,  2,  p.  14. 
1883.     Set  of  Five  Great  Horned  Owl's  Eggs  taken  by 

Dr.  Wood. —  O.  and  O.f  viii,  2,  p.  15. 
1883.     Purple  Finches  feeding  on  seeds  of  Tulip-poplar. — 

O.  and  O.,  viii,  6,  p.  48. 

1883.     Woodcock  and  Turtle.—  O.  and  0.,  viii,  8,  p.  63. 
1883.     Peculiar  Nesting  Place  [Purple  Martin  nesting  in 

hollow  rail]. —  O.  and  0.,  viii,  9,  p.  67. 
1883.     Albino  Blackbird  shot  at  Rockville,  Conn. —  O.  and 

0.,  viii,  9,  p.  72. 

1883.  Rare  Finds  by  J.  N.  Clark.—  O.  and  O.,  viii,  10, 

P- 75- 

1889.  Half  Albino  Woodcock  shot  near  Rockville,  Conn. 

—  O.  and  0.,  xiv,  n,  p.  176. 

1892.  Phoebe   Bird  —  Pewee. —  O.   and  O.,  xvii,   5,  pp. 

77-78. 

Wallace,  N. 

1893.  Mongolian     Pheasants     are     good     Swimmers. — 

Forest  and  Stream,  xl,  16,  p.  338. 

Walter,  Alice  Hall. 

1911.     [Spread  of  the  Starling  in  Connecticut]. —  Bird- 
Lore,  xiii,  4,  p.  220. 

Watson,  Amelia  M. 

1894.  Taming  a  Chipping  Sparrow  (Spisella  socialis) . — 

Auk,  xi,  3,  pp.  256-257. 

Webster,  Frank  B. 

1884.  Pine  Grosbeaks  in  Connecticut. —  O.  and  0.,  ix,  3, 

P-  33- 

1890.  Two  Snowy  Owls  at  Groton  Long  Point,  Conn. — 

O.  and  O.,  xv,  12,  p.  188. 

1891.  Runt  Red-winged  Blackbird's  Egg.— 0.  and  0., 

xvi,  I,  p.  1 6. 

1892.  A   Pure  White  Robin  shot  at  Stafford  Springs, 

Conn. —  0.  and  0.,  xvii,  5,  p.  79. 

1893.  Grosbeaks    and    Goshawk    at    Eastford,    Conn. — 

0.  and  O.,  xviii,  2,  p.  31. 


254  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Werking,  F.  J. 

1911.  Evening  Grosbeaks  at  Taftville,  Conn. — Bird-Lore, 
xiii,  2,  p.  94. 

Williams,  R.  W.,  Jr.—  See  Palmer,  T.  S. 
Whipple,  Jennie  May. —  Set  Rawson,  Calvin  L. 

Wilson,  Alexander,  and  Bonaparte,  Charles  Lucien  J.  L. 

1832.     American  Ornithology. 

Wilson,  James. 

1900.  Protection  and  Importation  of  Birds  under  Act  of 

Congress,  approved  May  25,  1900. —  U.  S.  Dept. 
Agriculture,  Div.  Biol.  Surv,,  Circular  29. 

Wood,  Howard  L.,  M.D. 

1901.  Wedded  for  Life  [Chimney  Swift  mated  for  five 

years]. —  Am.  Ornith.,  i,  10,  p.  194. 

Wood,  Dr.  William. 

1861.  Birds  of  Connecticut. —  Hartford  Times,  March  16, 
23,  30,  April  13,  20,  27,  May  4,  n,  18,  25,  June 
i,  8,  15,  22,  29,  July  6,  20,  27,  Aug.  10,  17,  24. 

1868.     The  Mottled  Owl— Am.  Nat.,  ii,  7,  pp.  370-375. 

1868.  A  Review  of  some  of  the  Articles  published  in  this 

Journal  respecting  the  Habits  and  Nesting  of 
our  Birds,  with  additional  Facts. —  Am.  Nat., 
«»  7,  Pp.  377-38o. 

1869.  Preparation  of  Birds'  Eggs. —  Am.  Nat.}  iii,  2,  pp. 

106-107. 
1869.     The  Red-tailed  Hawk. —  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  8,  pp.  393- 

397- 
1871.     Migration  of  Hawks. —  Am.  Nat.,  iv,  12,  pp.  759- 

76o. 

1871.  The  Game  Falcons  of  New  England  —  the  Duck 

Hawk. —  Am,  Nat.,  v,  2,  pp.  80-87. 

1872.  Instructions    for    Preparing    Birds'    Eggs. —  Am. 

Nat.,  vi,  5,  pp.  281-282. 

1873.  The  Game  Falcons  of  New  England  —  the  Pigeon 

Hawk. —  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  6,  pp.  340-345. 

1874.  The     Game     Falcons     of     New     England  —  the 

Sparrow  Hawk. —  Am.  Nat.,  viii,  5,  pp.  266-270. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  255 

1876.  The  Game  Falcons  of  New  England  —  the 
Goshawk. —  Am.  Nat.,  x,  3,  pp.  132-135. 

1878.  Instructions  for  Preparing  Birds'  Eggs. —  Fa- 
miliar Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ.,  v,  3,  pp.  51-52. 

1878.  The  [Rapacious]  Birds  of  Connecticut. — Familiar 
Sci.  and  Fanciers"  Journ.,  v.,  pp.  6-7,  26-28,  49- 
50,  73-75,  93-94,  m,  132-134,  152-155,  171-172, 

I9I-I92,  2IO-2II,  226-227. 

1878.  "  Evidences  of  Design  in  Birds'  Eggs."     Reply. — 

Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ.,  v,  6,  p.  113. 

1879.  The  [Rapacious]  Birds  of  Connecticut. —  Familiar 

Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ.,  vi.,  pp.  2-5,  21-22,  37- 
38,  57-58,  77-79,  93-94,  109-110,  125-126,  141- 
142. 

1879.  Eleven  Bald  Eagles  taken  in  Thirteen  Months. — 

Familiar  Sci.  and  Fanciers'  Journ.,  vi,  9,  p.  143. 

1880.  Hooded  Merganser. —  O.  and  O.,  v,  12,  p.  93. 

1881.  Red-headed  Woodpecker. —  O.  and  O.,  vi,  10,  pp. 

78-79. 

1881.  White   or    Snowy    Owl. —  Hartford    Times,    Dec. 

14. 

1882.  Hatching  Hawks'  Eggs   [under  Hens]. —  O.  and 

O.,  vii,  15,  p.  118. 

1883.  Birds  of  Connecticut.     The  Great  Horned  Owl.— 

Hartford  Times,  May  18. 

1883.  Birds  of  Connecticut.     The  Mottled  Owl.—  Hart- 

ford Times,  Nov.  30. 

1884.  Short-eared  Owl. —  O.  and  0.,  ix,  i,  p.  10. 

1884.  Question  Answered.      "  Hell-diver."—  O.  and  O., 

ix,  7,  p.  89. 

1885.  Birds   of   Connecticut.     The   Long-eared    Owl. — 

Hartford  Times,  April  20. 

Woodruff,  E.  Seymour. 

1905.  Notes     from     Northwestern     Connecticut. —  Auk, 

xxii,  4,  p.  420. 

1906.  A  Cape  May  Warbler  in  Litchfield  County,  Conn. 

—  Auk,  xxiii,  I,  p.  105. 

1906.  A  List  of  the  Birds  of  Litchfield,  Conn.—  Litchfield 
Enquirer,  Ixxxi,  3. 


256  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY.  [Bull. 

1906.  The  Prairie  Horned  Lark  a  Summer  Resident  in 
Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxiii,  4,  p.  461. 

1906.  Probable  Breeding  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow 

in  Connecticut. —  Auk,  xxiii,  4,  p.  461. 

1907.  Starlings  at  New  Haven,  Conn. —  Abst.  Linn,  Soc., 

N.  Y.,  18,  p.  15. 

1908.  The  Ruffed  Grouse.    A  Study  of  the  Causes  of  its 

Scarcity  in  1907. —  Ext.  from  I3th  Ann  .Rep. 
Forest,  Fish,  and  Game  Commissioner,  State  of 
New  York. 

1908.  Nesting  Habits  of  the  Henslow's  Sparrow. —  Bird- 
Lore,  x,  3,  pp.  111-113. 

Woodruff,  Lewis  B. 

1890.     Baird's  Sandpiper  at  New  Haven,  Conn. —  Auk, 

.vii,  I,  p.  89. 

1892.  Bird  Notes  from  Litchfield,  Conn.— Auk,  ix,  3, 
p.  202. 

Woolsey,  George,  M.  D. 

1880.  Worm-eating  Warbler  Breeding  in  Southern  Con- 
necticut.—  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  v,  2,  p.  116. 

1880.  Capture  of  Connecticut  Warbler  in  Spring  at  New 
Haven. —  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  v.  2,  p.  117. 
(Cf.  Allen,  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  1881,  p  114.) 

1880.  The  Ipswich  Sparrow  at  New  Haven. —  Bull.  Nutt. 
Orn.  Club,  v.  2,  p.  121. 

Wright,  Mabel  (Osgood). 
1899.     Birdcraft. 
1901.     Bird  Retreats   in  Connecticut. — Bird-Lore,   iii,   2, 

P-  79- 

1901.     The  New  Bird  Laws. — Bird-Lore,  iii,  5,  p.  180. 
1905.     A  Year  with  the  Birds.    A  Guide  to  the  naming  of 

100  Birds  commonly   found   in   Connecticut. — 

Conn.  School  Document  No.  4,  1905,  pp.  145. 
1908.     A  New  Plan  of  the  Connecticut  Audubon  Society. 

—  Bird-Lore,  x,  2,  p.  89. 


NO.  2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT.  257 

1911.  Birds  and  Seasons  in  my  Garden. —  Bird-Lore, 
xiii,  i,  pp.  1-7;  2,  pp.  67-74;  3,  pp.  128-134;  4, 
pp.  179-186;  5,  pp.  229-235;  6,  pp.  279-284. 

Zerega,  Louis  A. 

1880.  Notes  on  the  Northern  Range  of  the  Fish  Crow. — 
Bull  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  v,  4,  p.  205. 

Anonymous. 

1867.  Natural  History  Miscellany.  Zoology.  [Introduc- 
tion of  English  Sparrow,  "  Forty  Pairs  have 
just  been  imported  into  New  Haven."] — Am. 
Nat.,  i,  4,  p.  211. 


17 


PART  II 
Economic  Ornithology 


BY 

Louis  BENNETT  BISHOP 


259 


Economic  Ornithology. 

BIRDS  are  of  value  to  the  State  as  (i)  destroyers  of 
noxious  insects,  their  eggs  and  larvae,  and  also  of  small  mam- 
mals, especially  when  such  injurious  animals  appear  in  exces- 
sive numbers;  (2)  destroyers  of  weed  seed;  (3)  replanters  of 
forests;  (4)  food;  (5)  sport;  (6)  scavengers;  (7)  guides  to 
fishermen;  (8)  means  of  mental  enjoyment. 

As  destroyers  of  insects  that  infest  the  garden,  orchard, 
field,  and  forest,  and  consumers  of  enormous  quantities  of 
weed  seed,  birds  have  their  greatest  economic  value;  and 
their  feeding  habits  have  been  studied  by  ornithologists  con- 
nected with  the  Department  of  Agriculture  of  the  National 
Government  and  by  others  in  similar  positions  in  various 
states.  Brief  extracts  from  the  results  of  these  investigations 
will  be  found  in  the  following  pages.  Suffice  it  here  to  say 
that  only  one  Owl,  a  few  Hawks,  Crows,  some  Blackbirds,  the 
Starling,  and  the  English  Sparrow  seem  undeserving  of 
protection.  But  that  an  abundance  of  birds  is  of  great  benefit 
on  the  farm  the  following  extract  from  "  Useful  Birds  and 
their  Protection  "  by  E.  H.  Forbush,  State  Ornithologist  of 
Massachusetts,  will  show:  and  this  valuable  work  can  be 
cordially  recommended  to  all  those  who  wish  to  study  this 
subject  further  than  is  possible  for  us  in  this  Bulletin.  "  My 
first  attempt  at  availing  myself  of  the  services  of  the  birds  in 
an  orchard  was  made  in  1894-95,  and  the  result  was  given  ,in 
a  bulletin  issued  by  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  In  the 
winter  birds  were  attracted  to  the  orchard,  and  frequented 
the  trees  during  the  entire  winter  of  1894-95.  In  the  fall, 
winter,  and  spring  they  destroyed  thousands  of  the  imagoes 
and  eggs  of  the  fall  and  spring  cankerworm  moths,  the  eggs 
of  the  tent  caterpillar,  and  probably  also  the  pupae  and  imagoes 
of  the  codling  moth,  besides  scales,  tineids,  and  other  enemies 
of  the  trees.  When  spring  came,  efforts  were  made  to  attract 
the  summer  birds  to  the  orchard.  These  attempts  met  with 

261 


262  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

such  signal  success  that,  although  most  of  the  eggs  and  young 
birds  were  destroyed  by  cats,  boys,  crows,  and  other  agencies, 
the  remaining  injurious  insects  were  so  completely  disposed 
of  by  the  birds  that  the  trees  bore  luxuriant  foliage  during 
the  entire  summer,  and  produced  a  good  crop  of  fruit.  This 
occurred  in  a  season  when  the  tent  caterpillar  and  the  canker- 
worm  were  remarkably  prevalent.  The  only  other  orchard 
in  the  neighborhood  that  produced  any  fruit  whatever  was 
that  of  the  nearest  neighbor.  This  had  been  partly  protected 
by  tarred  bands  and  partly  by  the  birds  from  my  place.  Else- 
where in  the  town  most  of  the  apple  trees  were  defoliated,  and 
very  few  produced  any  fruit  that  year.  While  the  result 
secured  in  such  an  exceptional  year  seemed  remarkable,  the 
experience  of  succeeding  years  has  demonstrated  that  it  was 
not  so.  Year  after  year  we  have  kept  the  trees  free  from 
insect  injury,  without  spraying  or  otherwise  protecting  the 
foliage,  merely  by  a  little  effort  and  expenditure  to  attract 
the  birds  and  furnish  them  safe  homes.  While  the  protection 
of  the  tree  itself  is  essential  (i.  e.,  its  trunk,  limbs,  twigs,  and 
bark),  the  protection  of  its  foliage,  which  shades  the  fruit 
and  so  allows  it  to  mature,  is  also  imperative." 

As  regulators  of  occasional  outbreaks  of  noxious  animals 
birds  have  played  a  valuable  part  more  than  once  in  the  past. 
In  the  invasions  of  locusts  that  occur  occasionally  in  the 
West,  birds  of  all  sorts  —  hawks,  owls,  geese,  ducks,  grouse, 
pigeons,  shore  birds,  woodpeckers,  gulls,  crows,  blackbirds, 
herons,  vireos,  sparrows,  swallows,  warblers,  thrushes,  and 
even  hummingbirds  —  swarm  to  the  feast  and  devour  these 
insects  in  incredible  numbers.  The  same  thing  is  true  when 
the  hordes  of  the  army-worm  appear.  In  the  plagues  of  mice 
that  sometimes  infest  parts  of  Europe,  hawks  and  owls  flock 
to  the  spot,  and  feed  on  little  else  until  these  animals  are 
reduced  to  their  normal  numbers.  If  we  wantonly  destroy 
our  hawks  and  owls,  we  lay  ourselves  open  to  such  outbreaks, 
and  have  removed  those  whose  pleasure  it  would  be  to  protect 
us  in  such  an  emergency. 

The  value  of  certain  species  as  a  source  of  food,  and  from 
the  standpoint  of  sportsmen,  is  too  well  understood  to  require 
discussion.  Formerly,  when  Roseate  Terns  (Sterna  dougalli) 


No.    2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF   CONNECTICUT.  263 

were  abundant  in  the  Sound,  fishermen  could  frequently 
ascertain  the  presence  of  bluefish  by  watching  the  actions  of 
these  birds,  as  they  caught  the  smaller  fish  driven  to  the 
surface  by  the  large  ones;  and  any  one  who  has  watched  the 
Herring  Gulls  (Larus  argentatus)  swarming  at  the  mouths  of 
the  sewers  of  cities,  will  realize  their  value  as  scavengers. 
How  far  birds  help  in  replanting  forests  is  questionable,  but 
there  is  no  doubt  that  Jays  and  Pigeons  do  assist  somewhat 
by  transporting  acorns  and  the  seeds  of  other  trees. 

To  provide  mental  enjoyment  may  not  seem  at  first  sight 
a  part  of  the  function  of  the  State,  but  there  is  a  large  and 
steadily  increasing  body  of  people,  valuable  citizens,  who 
derive  great  enjoyment  from  listening  to  the  songs  and  studying 
the  habits  of  birds,  who  will  go  where  birds  are  and  keep  away 
where  birds  are  not.  Surely  it  is  more  to  the  advantage  of  the 
state  to  protect  birds  and  encourage  these  people  to  live  with  us 
than  it  is  to  allow  our  smaller  birds  to  be  shot  for  the  morsel  of 
meat  their  bodies  may  afford.  From  this  standpoint  alone,  the 
protection  of  birds  is  certainly  a  good  investment  for  the  state. 

Those  also  who  are  interested  in  birds  from  a  scientific  stand- 
point must  not  be  forgotten,  as  from  their  ranks  have  come  most 
of  the  men  whose  investigations  of  the  feeding  habits  of  birds  are 
quoted  in  the  following  pages.  As  almost  all  ornithologists 
begin  their  study  of  birds  by  collecting  skins  and  eggs  in  boy- 
hood —  the  training  of  the  eye  and  ear  in  youth  being  apparently 
essential  for  success  in  field  ornithology, —  no  laws  making  per- 
mits unreasonably  difficult  to  obtain  should  be  passed.  Since 
under  normal  conditions  at  least  twice  as  many  birds  die  each  year 
as  are  living  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  legitimate  collecting 
can  have  but  little  effect  on  their  numbers;  and  this  the  killing 
of  a  few  vagrant  cats  would  offset  many  times  over. 

GREBES,  LOONS,  and  AUKS. 
Colymbidcz,  Gaviidcz,  and  Alcidce. 

Of  the  five  species  of  Grebes  and  Loons  occurring  more  or 
less  frequently  in  Connecticut,  only  two  breed  with  us,  and 
those  but  rarely.  Their  habits  are  entirely  aquatic  except  in 
the  breeding  season,  and  even  then  the  Grebes  build  floating 


264  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

nests  of  decaying  vegetation  in  lakes  or  ponds.  Their  food 
habits  are  such  that  they  are  of  little  economic  importance. 
The  food  of  the  Loons  is  almost  entirely  small  fish,  while  the 
Grebes  vary  this  diet  with  aquatic  insects,  tadpoles,  lizards, 
grass,  locusts,  and  grasshoppers. 

The  Auks  are  found  only  as  stragglers  in  our  waters,  and 
the  small  fish  and  crustaceans  they  consume  are  of  no  value. 

JAEGERS  and  MAN-O'-WAR  BIRDS. 
Stercorariidce  and  Fregatida. 

Wanderers  on  our  shores,  the  Jaegers  find  the  terns  on 
which  they  largely  depend  for  food  so  rare  that  they  do  not 
stay  long  with  us.  Their  ordinary  method  of  procuring  food 
is  to  chase  a  tern  or  small  gull  until  the  latter  drops  the  fish 
it  has  in  its  bill  or.  disgorges  what  it  has  swallowed.  This 
the  robber  seizes  before  it  reaches  the  water;  then  searches 
for  a  fresh  victim.  When  forced  to  forage  for  themselves, 
they  live  on  fish,  frogs,  crawfish,  and  even  grasshoppers. 

The  Man-o'-War  Bird  (Fregata  aquila)  has  the  habits  of 
the  Jaegers,  but  is  only  accidental  in  our  state. 

GULLS  and  TERNS. 
Laridcz. 

All  is  flesh  that  a  Gull  can  find  to  eat  as  long  as  it  is  not 
vegetable.  Their  usual  food  with  us  is  fish,  but  the  manner 
the  Herring  Gulls  (Larus  argentatus)  collect  at  the  mouths  of 
the  sewers  of  cities  shows  that  other  matter  is  not  objection- 
able. They  are  the  scavengers  of  the  waters,  feeding  on  all  ani- 
mal matter  they  can  find,  whether  alive  or  dead.  "  Other  times 
other  manners  " ;  the  head  of  a  Ptarmigan  was  found  in  the 
throat  of  a  Glaucous  Gull  (Larus  hyperboreus)  shot  by  the 
author  in  Alaska,  and  Mr.  E.  T.  Judd  took  a  Yellow  Warbler 
from  the  stomach  of  a  Ring-billed  Gull  (Larus  delaivarensis) 
in  North  Dakota.  In  that  state  and  in  many  parts  of  the 
West  flocks  of  Franklin's  Gulls  (Larus  franklini)  following  the 
plow,  and  alighting  on  the  freshly  turned  sod  in  search  of 
worms  and  grubs,  are  a  common  sight.  Grasshoppers  and 
locusts  are  also  a  welcome  addition  to  the  food  of  many 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  265 

species ;  mollusks,  mammals,  young  birds,  and  eggs  are  freely 
taken  when  occasion  offers,  as  is  the  most  putrid  carrion. 
Thus  acting  as  scavengers,  the  good  they  do  greatly  outweighs 
any  harm  their  killing  the  few  birds  can  be,  and,  with  their 
beauty,  should  cause  them  to  receive  all  possible  protection. 

Devoted  almost  exclusively  to  a  diet  of  small  fish,  the 
few  Terns  (Sterna  hirundo)  that  now  breed  on  our  shores, 
are  objects  of  beauty  to  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to 
see  them.  Formerly,  fishermen  found  their  presence  in 
numbers  an  indication  that  large  fish  had  driven  the  smaller 
to  the  surface,  and  considered  them  useful  accordingly.  The 
Least  Tern  (Sterna  antillarum)  feeds  largely  on  grasshoppers, 
spiders,  and  aquatic  insects,  while  one  who  has  watched  the 
Black  Terns  (Hydrochelidon  nigra  surinamensis)  skimming 
over  the  ponds  of  the  West  after  the  manner  of  swallows, 
can  have  little  doubt  as  to  the  chief  source  of  their  food.  Both 
these  birds  are  unfortunately  too  rare  with  us  to  influence 
our  insects. 

The  Skimmers  (Rhynchopidce),  Fulmars  and  Petrels 
(Pr ocellarnda) ,  Gannets  (Sulida},  Cormorants  (Phalacro- 
coracidtz),  and  Pelicans  (\Pele canida),  may  be  omitted  from  our 
study  of  feeding  habits,  as,  although  all  feed  on  fish,  they  are 
very  rare  in  Connecticut. 

DUCKS,  GEESE,  and  SWANS. 
Anatida. 

These  birds  are  chiefly  important  from  their  food  value  and 
as  objects  of  sport,  as  few  of  them  are  with  us  when  they  can 
find  locusts,  beetles,  or  grasshoppers,  on  which  they  frequently 
feed  in  summer.  Many  of  them  eat  fish,  crustaceans,  and  shell- 
fish, and  others  various  grasses  and  water  plants.  Their  food 
has  no  market  value  in  our  state,  but  in  parts  of  the  West 
they  do  great  damage  in  the  wheat  fields. 

HERONS,  EGRETS,  and  BITTERNS. 
Ardeidce. 

The  chief  value  of  these  birds  is  their  grace  and  beauty,  and 
the  charm  they  add  to  the  landscape;  their  economic  importance 


266  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

is  not  great  either  for  help  or  harm.  They  feed  on  small  fish, 
frogs,  occasionally  a  mouse,  tadpoles,  worms,  grasshoppers, 
dragon-flies,  and  various  insects.  It  is  conceivable  that  at  a  fish- 
hatchery  a  Great  Blue  Heron  (Ardea  herodias)  might  be  out  of 
place,  but  in  the  rest  of  the  state  its  presence  is  a  distinct  gain. 

RAILS,  GALLINULES,  and  COOTS. 
Rallida. 

The  Rails  have  their  main  value  from  an  economic  standpoint 
as  ornaments  to  the  dinner  table;  the  diet  of  wild  rice  on  which 
the  Sora  (Porzana  Carolina)  feeds  showing  why  its  flesh  stands 
so  much  higher  in  the  opinion  of  epicures  than  that  of  the  Clap- 
per and  Virginia  Rails  (Rallus  crepitans  crepitans  and  vir- 
ginianus)  which  "  feed  chiefly  upon  grasshoppers,  snails,  slugs, 
crabs,  and  aquatic  insects "  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in 
their  Relation  to  Man"). 

The  Coot  (Fulica  americana),  which  is  sometimes  tolerably 
common  in  fall,  feeds  upon  the  same  food  as  the  last  mentioned 
Rails,  and  its  flesh  is  not  highly  praised. 

SHORE  BIRDS. 
Limicolce. 

The  Phalaropes  (Phalaropodida) ,  Avocets  and  Stilts 
(Recurvirostrida) ,  Woodcocks,  Snipes,  and  Sandpipers  (Scolo- 
pacida),  Plovers  (Charadriidce) ,  and  Turnstones  (Aphrizidce) 
were  supposed  to  have  their  chief  economic  value  as  being 
"  good  to  eat,"  and  in  addition  furnishing  sport  and  outdoor 
exercise  for  sportsmen.  But  this  is  by  no  means  true.  They 
are  all  insect-eaters,  and  no  doubt  destroy  large  numbers 
during  the  months  they  are  with  us.  The  Woodcock  and  Snipe 
feed  on  worms,  grasshoppers,  and  other  insects.  Of  the  Wilson's 
Snipe  (Gallinago  delicata) — "eight  out  of  the  eleven  stomachs 
opened  by  Professor  Aughey  contained  from  38  to  60  locusts  each, 
besides  other  insects  "  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their 
Relation  to  Man/'  p.  231).  The  smaller  Sandpipers,  feeding 
about  the  pools  of  the  salt  marshes,  probably  have  some  effect 
on  the  hordes  of  mosquitoes  by  devouring  their  larvae.  Of  the 
usefulness  of  some  species'  in  the  West  —  most  of  them,  alas! 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  267 

now  too  rare  with  us  to  be  of  economic  importance  —  Professor 
Bruner  writes :  "  The  Snipes,  Sandpipers,  Plovers,  Phalaropes, 
Curlews,  etc.,  are  great  destroyers  of  insects.  Moving,  as  many 
of  them  do,  in  great  flocks,  and  spreading  out  over  the  meadows, 
pastures,  and  hillsides,  as  well  as  among  the  cultivated  fields, 
they  do  a  large  amount  of  careful  police  service  in  arresting  the 
culprits  among  insects.  They  even  pry  them  out  of  burrows 
and  crevices  in  the  earth,  where  these  creatures  lurk  during  day- 
time only  to  come  forth  after  nightfall  to  destroy  vegetation. 
The  large  flocks  of  Eskimo  Curlews  that  formerly  passed 
through  eastern  Nebraska,  did  magnificent  work  during  years 
when  the  Rocky  Mountain  locust  was  with  us,  as  did  also  the 
equally  large  flocks  of  Golden  Plovers.  The  Bartramian  Sand- 
piper even  now  is  a  great  factor  each  summer  in  checking  the 
increasing  locusts  on  our  prairies."  (Proceedings  of  the  Nebraska 
Ornithologists'  Union  at  its  Second  Annual  Meeting.) 

In  "  Our  Vanishing  Shore  Birds,"  Mr.  W.  L.  McAtee,  of  the 
Biological  Survey,  says :  "  Few  groups  of  birds  more  thoroughly 
deserve  protection  from  an  economic  standpoint.  Shore  Birds 
perform  an  important  service  by  their  inroads  upon  mosquitoes, 
some  of  which  play  so  conspicuous  a  part  in  the  dissemination 
of  diseases.  Thus,  nine  species  are  known  to  feed  upon  mos- 
quitoes, and  hundreds  of  larvae  or  '  wigglers  '  were  found  in 
several  stomachs.  Fifty-three  per  cent  of  the  food  of  twenty- 
eight  Northern  Phalaropes  in  one  locality  consisted  of  mosquito 
larvae.  The  insects  eaten  include  the  salt-marsh  mosquito." 

"  Cattle  and  other  live  stock  also  are  seriously  molested  by 
mosquitoes  as  well  as  by  another  set  of  pests,  the  horseflies. 
Adults  and  larvae  of  these  flies  have  been  found  in  the  stomachs 
of  the  Dowitcher,  the  Pectoral  Sandpiper,  the  Hudsonian  God- 
wit,  and  the  Killdeer.  Two  species  of  shore  birds,  the  Killdeer 
and  Upland  Plover,  still  further  befriend  cattle  by  devouring'  the 
North  American  fever  tick." 

"  Crane-fly  larvae  are  frequently  seriously  destructive  locally 
in  grass  lands  and  wheat  fields.  Among  their  numerous  bird 
enemies  shore  birds  rank  high." 

Of  grasshoppers  shore  birds  are  very  fond,  and  twenty-four 
species  are  known  to  feed  on  them. 


268  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  Shore  birds  are  fond  of  other  insect  pests  of  forage  and 
grain  crops,  including  the  army-worm,  which  is  known  to  be 
eaten  by  the  Killdeer  and  Spotted  Sandpiper;  also  cut-worms, 
among  whose  enemies  are  the  Avocet,  Woodcock,  Pectoral  and 
Baird  Sandpipers,  Upland  Plover  and  Killdeer. 

"  The  principal  farm  crops  have  many  destructive  beetle  ene- 
mies also,  and  some  of  these  are  eagerly  eaten  by  shore  birds. 
Bill-bugs,  which  often  do  considerable  damage  to  corn,  seem  to 
be  the  favorite  food  of  some  of  the  shore  birds." 

"  The  economic  record  of  the  shore  birds  deserves  nothing 
but  praise.  These  birds  injure  no  crop,  but  on  the  contrary  feed 
upon  many  of  the  worst  enemies  of  agriculture.  It  is  worth 
recalling  that  their  diet  includes  such  pests  as  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain locust  and  other  injurious  grasshoppers,  the  army-worm, 
cutworms,  cabbage  worms,  cotton  worm,  cotton  cutworm,  boll 
weevil,  clover-leaf  weevil,  clover-root  curculio,  rice  weevil,  corn 
bill-bugs,  wire-worms,  corn-leaf  beetles,  cucumber  beetles,  white 
grubs,  and  such  foes  of  stock  as  the  Texas  fever  tick,  horseflies, 
and  mosquitoes;  Their  warfare  on  crayfishes  must  not  be  over- 
looked, nor  must  we  forget  the  more  personal  debt  of  gratitude 
we  owe  them  for  preying  upon  mosquitoes.  They  are  the  most 
important  bird  enemies  of  these  pests  known  to  us. 

"  Shore  birds  have  been  hunted  until  only  a  remnant  of  their 
once  vast  numbers  is  left.  Their  limited  powers  of  reproduction, 
coupled  with  the  natural  vicissitudes  of  the  breeding  period,  make 
their  increase  slow,  and  peculiarly  expose  them  to  the  danger  of 
extermination.  They  should  be  protected,  first,  to  save  them 
from  the  danger  of  extermination,  and,  second,  because  of  their 
economic  importance.  So  great,  indeed,  is  their  economic  value, 
that  their  retention  on  the  game  list  and  their  destruction  by 
sportsmen  is  a  serious  loss  to  agriculture." 

GROUSE,  PARTRIDGES,  and  QUAILS. 
Tetraonida?  and  Odontophorida. 

Of  the  usefulness  of  the  Bob-white  or  Quail  (Colinus  vir- 
ginianus  virginianus)  from  the  sportsman's  standpoint  it  is  un- 
necessary to  speak,  but  that  its  importance  to  agriculture  is  even 
greater  Dr.  Sylvester  D.  Judd  has  abundantly  shown  in  the  Year 
Book  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  for  1903  ("The  Economic 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  269 

Value  of  the  Bob-white  ").  Dr.  Judd  finds  that  "  the  Bob-white 
is  probably  the  most  useful  abundant  species  on  the  farm.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  nearly  omnivorous  birds,  consuming  large  quanti- 
ties of  weed  seeds,  and  destroying  many  of  the  worst  insect  pests 
with  which  the  farmer  has  to  contend.  It  does  not  injure  grain, 
fruit,  or  any  other  crop. 

"  In  the  investigation  801  stomachs  were  examined,  collected 
in  every  month  of  the  year,  though  mostly  during  the  hunting 

season,  and  obtained  from  twenty-one  different  states 

As  indicated  by  this  material,  the  Bob-white  is  notable  for  the 
great  variety  of  its  food.  It  lives  mainly  on  seeds,  fruits,  leaves, 
buds,  insects,  and  spiders,  though  myriapods,  crustaceans,  mol- 
lusks,  and  even  batrachians  have  been  found  in  its  stomach.  The 
character  of  the  diet  varies  with  the  season.  The  greatest  pro- 
portion of  animal  matter  is  taken  in  late  spring  and  early  sum- 
mer. The  food  for  the  year,  as  a  whole,  estimated  from  the 
analysis  of  the  contents  of  stomachs  and  calculated  by  volume, 
is  divided  thus :  animal  matter,  14.93  per  cent ;  vegetable  matter, 
85.07  per  cent.  The  elements  of  the  animal  food  are  distributed 
as  follows :  beetles,  6.38  per  cent  of  the  total  food  ;  grasshoppers, 
2.56  per  cent ;  bugs,  2.83  per  cent ;  caterpillars,  0.87  per  cent ; 
miscellaneous  insects,  0.48  per  cent;  the  other  invertebrates, 
largely  spiders,  1.81  per  cent.  The  vegetable  food  consists  of 
grain,  23.64  per  cent  of  the  total  food;  various  seeds,  chiefly 
those  of  weeds,  50.78  per  cent ;  fruit,  8.53  per  cent ;  miscellaneous 
vegetable  matter,  2.12  per  cent. 

"  The  Bob-white  is  pre-eminently  a  seed  eater.  Of  its  food 
for  the  year,  as  a  whole,  seeds  form  50.78  per  cent,  and  include 
those  of  many  different  plants. 

"  The  bulk  of  this  seed  diet  consists  of  the  seeds  of  weeds. 
Fully  sixty  different  weeds  are  represented  in  the  food,  and  con- 
stitute more  than  a  third  of  the  food  for  the  year  as  a  whole. 
Some  idea  of  the  value  of  the  bird  as  a  weed  destroyer  may 
be  gained  from  the  number  of  seeds  taken  at  a  meal.  Thirty 
buttonweed  seeds,  200*  to  300  smartweed  seeds,  often  500  seeds 
of  sheep  sorrel,  and  700  of  three-seeded  mercury  have 
been  taken  at  one  feeding.  Crops  and  stomachs  are  fre- 
quently crammed  with  nothing  but  ragweed.  One  bird,  taken 
at  Marshall  Hall,  Md.,  November  6,  1902,  had  eaten  a  thousand 


270  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

ragweed  akenes;  another,  killed  the  previous  November  in  the 
same  place,  had  eaten  an  equal  number  of  the  seeds  of  crabgrass, 
a  troublesome  weed  in  truck  land.  Birds  have  been  shot  in 
Mecklenburg  County,  Va.,  whose  stomachs  contained  3,000 
leguminous  seeds,  mostly  of  tick  trefoil  and  various  species  of 
bush  clover.  Pigeon  grass,  which  is  extremely  common  and  mis- 
chievous in  truck  land,  is  a  favorite  food.  No  less  than  5,000 
seeds  of  this  troublesome  plant  were  found  in  the  stomach  of  a 
bird  shot  in  October,  1902,  at  Pinebrook,  N.  J.  Finally,  a  Bob- 
white  taken  on  Christmas  Day,  1901,  at  Kinsale,  Va.,  was 
discovered  to  have  eaten  10,000  seeds  of  that  abundant  and  ob- 
noxious pest  of  the  garden,  the  pigweed. 

"  A  careful  computation  of  the  total  amount  of  weed  seed  the 
Bob-white  is  capable  of  destroying  is  surprising  in  the  magnitude 
of  its  result.  In  the  state  of  Virginia  it  is  safe  to  assume  that 
from  September  I  to  30,  the  season  when  the  largest  proportion 
of  weed  seed  is  consumed  by  birds,  there  are  four  Bob-whites 
to  the  square  mile,  or  169,800  in  the  entire  state.  The  crop  of 
each  of  these  birds  will  hold  half  an  ounce  of  seed;  and,  as  at 
each  of  the  two  daily  meals  weed  seed  constitutes  at  least  half 
the  contents  of  the  crop,  or  a  quarter  of  an  ounce,  a  half-ounce 
daily  is  certainly  consumed  by  each  bird.  On  this  very  conserva- 
tive basis  the  total  consumption  of  weed  seed  by  Bob-whites  from 
September  I  to  April  30  in  Virginia  amounts  to  573  tons. 

"  The  Bob-white  is  insectivorous  as  well  as  granivorous.  In- 
sects are  eaten  during  every  month  of  the  year,  and  amount  to 
14.93  Per  cent  °f  tne  food  for  the  year  as  a  whole.  From  May 
to  August,  inclusive,  when  insects  are  most  numerous,  the  per- 
centage for  the  period  rises  to  31.5  per  cent.  The  variety  of 
insect  food  is  large.  In  the  present  investigation  116  species  of 
insects  have  been  noted  as  entering  into  the  diet,  a  number  that 
will  probably  be  greatly  augmented  by  further  knowledge.  Fur- 
thermore, the  proportion  of  injurious  insects  habitually  eaten  by 
the  Bob-white  makes  its  service  as  a  destroyer  of  insects  more 
valuable  than  those  of  many  birds  whose  percentage  of  insect 
food,  though  greater,  includes  a  smaller  proportion  of  injurious 
species.  Conspicuous  among  the  pests  which  the  Bob-white 
destroys  are  the  potato  beetle,  the  12-spotted  cucumber  beetle, 
the  bean  leaf-beetle,  the  squash  ladybird,  wireworms  and  their 


NO.    20.]  THE  BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  271 

beetles,  May-beetles,  such  weevils  as  the  corn  billbug,  the  im- 
bricated snout-beetle,  the  clover  leaf  weevil,  and  the  Mexican 
cotton  boll-weevil,  the  striped  garden  caterpillar,  the  army-worm, 
the  cotton  worm,  the  boll  worm,  various  species  of  cutworms, 
the  corn-louse  ant,  the  red-legged  grasshopper,  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain locust,  and  the  chinch  bug.  Some  of  these  pests  are  relished, 
for  a  dozen  army-worms  or  cutworms  are  frequently  eaten  at  a 
meal.  Thirty  Rocky  Mountain  locusts  have  been  found  in  a  single 
crop.  Weevils  are  greatly  sought  after,  47  cotton  boll-weevils 
having  been  eaten  in  a  morning  by  one  Bob-white.  Striped 
cucumber  beetles  are  destroyed  by  the  score,  potato  beetles  by  the 
hundred,  and  chinch  bugs  by  the  tablespoonful." 

Dr.  Judd  finds  that  the  grain  forms  only  one-fourth  of  the 
food,  corn  and  wheat  being  preferred  (corn,  19  per  cent ;  wheat, 
3  per  cent)  ;  but  that  this  was  almost  entirely  obtained  by  glean- 
ing among  the  stubble,  not  a  single  sprouting  kernel  having  been 
found  among  the  crops  and  stomachs  examined. 

Although  &y2  per  cent  of  the  food  consists  of  fruit,  this  is 
largely  taken  during  December,  and  consists  chiefly  of  sumac 
berries.  Leaves  and  buds  are  only  a  small  portion  of  its  food, 
and  these  are  principally  of  yellow  sorrel,  sheep  sorrel,  and  red 
and  white  clover. 

From  its  life  in  the  woods  the  Ruffed  Grouse  or  Partridge 
(Bonasa  umbellus  umbellus)  is  not  of  as  direct  economic  im- 
portance as  the  Quail.  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  of  the  Biological  Survey 
finds  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Man," 
pp.  224-6) ,  that  they  are  "  very  fond  of  grasshoppers  and 
crickets,"  caterpillars  also  often  entering  into  their  diet.  "  Beech- 
nuts, chestnuts,  and  acorns  of  the  chestnut  and  white  oaks  are 
also  common  articles  of  food.  Among  berries,  early  in  the  season, 
the  blackberries,  blueberries,  raspberries,,  and  elderberries  are 
eaten  with  relish,  while,  later  in  the  year,  wintergreen,  partridge- 
berry,  with  their  foliage,  sumach-berries  (including  those  of  the 
poisonous  species),  cranberries,  black  alder,  dogwood,  nanny- 
berries,  and  wild  grapes  form  their  chief  diet.  In  the  fall  the 
foliage  of  plants  often  forms  a  large  part  of  their  food,  that  of 
clover,  strawberry,  buttercup,  wintergreen,  and  partridge-berry 
predominating.  In  the  winter  these  birds  feed  on  the  buds  of 
trees,  preferring  those  of  the  apple  tree,  ironwood,  black  and 
white  birch,  and  poplar. 


272  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  In  isolated  cases  Ruffed  Grouse  cause  some  damage  to  fruit 
trees  by  eating  the  buds  in  winter.  The  extent  of  the  injury 
which  a  grouse  is  capable  of  doing  in  a  season  may  be  estimated 
from  the  contents  of  a  crop  examined  by  us.  It  was  taken  from 
a  female  shot  in  January,  and  contained  three  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  apple-tree  buds,  eighty-eight  maple  buds,  and  twelve  leaves 
of  sheep  laurel.  This  was,  of  course,  a  single  meal ;  and,  as  two 
such  meals  are  eaten  per  day,  it  must  be  reckoned  as  half  the 
daily  consumption. 

"  One  of  the  crops  of  four  birds  killed  during  the  latter  part 
of  September  and  subjected  to  the  same  scrutiny  showed  bar- 
berries five  per  cent,  sumac  seeds  twenty  per  cent,  and  apple 
pulp  twenty  per  cent.  Another  contained  ten  per  cent  of  mush- 
rooms and  ninety  per  cent  of  red-humped  oak  caterpillars 
(Edema  albifrons).  The  other  two  were  shot  from  the  same 
flock  at  the  same  time.  Their  crops  were  packed  with  the  oak 
caterpillars  above  mentioned  and  white-oak  acorns,  the  ratios 
being  sixty  per  cent  and  seventy-seven  per  cent  of  caterpillars, 
against  forty  per  cent  and  twenty-three  per  cent  of  acorns,  re- 
spectively." (Weed  and  Dearborn.) 

This  habit  of  eating  the  buds  of  trees  probably  does  little 
harm,  and  is  more  than  offset  by  the  diet  of  the  young  in  the 
spring,  which  appears  to  be  almost  wholly  insectivorous,  judg- 
ing from  the  few  published  records. 

PIGEONS. 
Columbida. 

The  Passenger  Pigeon  (Ecto pistes  migratorius)  is  so  near 
extinction  that  we  need  only  regret  its  loss  without  discussing 
its  economic  value. 

The  Mourning  Dove  (Zenaidura  macroura  carolinensis) ,  how- 
ever, though  not  abundant  with  us,  is  of  such  great  value  as  a 
weed  destroyer  that  a  quotation  from  Dr.  Judd's  paper  on  "  Birds 
as  Weed  Destroyers,"  in  the  Year  Book  of  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  for  1898,  will  not  be  out  of  place  in  this  report  as 
evidence  that  our  turtle  dove's  chief  usefulness  is  not  as  game. 

"  It  is  pre-eminently  a  seed  eater,  and,  although  at  times  turn- 
ing its  attention  to  grain,  it  nevertheless  consumes  an  enormous 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  2/3 

amount  of  weed  seed.  The  crop  of  one  dove  secured  in  a  rye 
field  in  Warner,  Tennessee,  contained  7,500  seeds  of  Oxalis 
stricta.  Just  outside  the  District  of  Columbia  the  bird  has  been 
seen  feeding  in  fields  overgrown  with  pigeon  grass  and  ragweed, 
and  especially  in  old  cornfields,  where  smartweed  and  bindweed 
formed  tangles  of  sufficient  extent  to  injure  the  crop.  In  the 
Eastern  States  it  has  a  peculiar  habit  of  picking  up  pokeweed 
seeds  and  crushing  them  in  its  muscular  stomach.  Several  weeds 
belonging  to  the  genera  Lithospermum,  Oxalis,  and  Euphorbia 
are  also  utilized  as  food  to  a  somewhat  lesser  extent.  In  Cali- 
fornia the  dove  feeds  upon  the  seeds  of  a  leguminous  weed,  known 
as  turkey  mullein  (Eremocarpus  setigerus).  The  habit  is  so  well 
known  in  some  localities  that  a  botanist  upon  inquiring  how  he 
could  collect  some  seeds  of  this  plant  was  advised  to  shoot  a  few 
doves  and  open  their  crops." 

FALCONS,  HAWKS,  and  EAGLES. 
Falconida,  Buteonidce,  and  Pandionida. 

As  regard  usefulness  our  Hawks  may  be  roughly  grouped  in 
two  classes:  the  sailing,  rather  slow-flying  hawks,  which  are 
beneficial ;  and  the  darting,  swift-flying  hawks,  which  are  injuri- 
ous.1 This  of  course  is  not  invariably  true,  but  it  is  true  in  the  main, 
and  perhaps  may  save  some  Buteo  or  Marsh  Hawk,  who  pays 
rent  for  its  nest  in  the  woods  or  meadow  by  incessant  warfare 
on  mice,  from  paying  the  penalty  for  the  attacks  of  the  Sharp- 
shinned  and  Cooper's  Hawks  on  the  poultry  yard.  Sportsmen 
have  always  held  all  forms  of  hawks  evil  and  acted  accordingly, 
shooting  them  indiscriminately,  forgetting  that  the  few  birds 
some  of  them  may  take  from  the  coveys  of  quail  or  partridge  may 
be  more  than  balanced  by  the  usefulness  of  others ;  while  the 
farmers,  remembering  lost  chickens,  are  loth  to  believe  that  only 
two  species  of  our  common  hawks  are  given  to  raids  on  domestic 
fowls,  the  others  only  seeking  them  when  pressed  for  food.  For 
the  evil  done  by  a  few  species,  the  Hawks  and  the  Owls  have 
been  held  up  as  enemies  whose  destruction  should  bring  reward, 
and  laws  to  this  effect  have  been  passed  in  different  states.  But 
after  these  laws  have  remained  on  the  statute  books  for  varying 

*The  Sparrow  Hawk  (Falco  sparverius  sparverius}  must  be  excepted  in  the  con- 
demnation passed  upon  species  related  to  it. 
18 


274  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

periods,  with  no  advantage  except  to  the  few  who  make  a  busi- 
ness of  collecting  bounties  —  one  county  in  Pennsylvania  having 
paid  out  in  a  year  over  $5,000  in  this  manner, —  they  are  usually 
repealed ;  and  now  many  states  protect  all  but  a  few  of  these 
birds.  A  very  exhaustive  study  of  the  food  of  the  Hawks  and 
Owls  of  the  United  States  was  made  some  years  ago  by  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture,  and- the  results  given  to  the  public  in  a 
special  bulletin  by  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  under  the  title,  "  The  Hawks 
and  Owls  of  the  United  States  in  their  Relation  to  Agriculture." 
This  valuable  work  is  now  out  of  print,  but  some  of  its  more  im- 
portant features  relative  to  our  Hawks  and  Owls  are  here  given, 
together  with  a  few  personal  investigations  on  this  subject. 

Dr.  C.  H.  Merriam,  Chief  of  the  Biological  Survey,  in  trans- 
mitting this  work  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  states  that  in 
its  preparation  the  contents  of  about  2,700  stomachs  of  these 
birds  were  examined. 

"  The  result  proves  that  a  class  of  birds  commonly  looked 
upon  as  enemies  to  the  farmer,  and  indiscriminately  destroyed 
whenever  occasion  offers,  really  rank  among  his  best  friends,  and 
with  few  exceptions  should  be  preserved,  and  encouraged  to  take 
up  their  abode  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  home.  Only  six  of  the 
seventy-three  species  and  subspecies  of  hawks  and  owls  of  the 
United  States  are  injurious.  Of  these,  three  are  so  extremely 
rare  they  need  hardly  be  considered,  and  another  (the  Fish 
Hawk)  is  only  indirectly  injurious,  leaving  but  two  (the  Sharp- 
shinned  and  Cooper's  Hawks)  that  really  need  be  taken  into 
account  as  enemies  to  agriculture.  Omitting  the  six  species  that 
feed  largely  on  poultry  and  game,  2,212  stomachs  were  examined, 
of  which  56  per  cent  contained  mice  and  other  small  mammals, 
27  per  cent  insects,  and  only  3^  per  cent  poultry  or  game  birds. 
In  view  of  these  facts  the  folly  of  offering  bounties  for  the  de- 
struction of  hawks  and  owls,  as  has  been  done  by  several  states, 
becomes  apparent,  and  the  importance  of  an  accurate  knowledge 
of  the  economic  status  of  our  common  birds  and  mammals  is 
overwhelmingly  demonstrated." 

Of  our  hawks  there  are  only  five  that  feed  habitually  on 
birds;  and,  of  these  two,  the  Duck  Hawk  (Falco  peregrinus 
anatum)  and  Goshawk  (Astur  atricapillus  atricapillus)  are  so 
rare  that  they  may  be  left  out  of  consideration. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF   CONNECTICUT.  275 

The  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  (Acciplter  velox),  though  diminu- 
tive in  size,  is  large  in  courage,  and  is  the  true  "  Chicken  Hawk," 
and  probably  feeds  entirely  on  birds  when  obtainable.  "  When 
a  pair  of  Sharp-shinned  Hawks  find  a  farm  where  young  chickens 
are  easily  obtained,  they  generally  visit  it  until  the  supply  gives 
out,  or  they  themselves  meet  a  tragic  death.  Nuttall  speaks  of 
a  single  bird  which  came  every  day  to  a  farmhouse  until  it  had 
carried  away  between  twenty  and  thirty  young  chickens." 
(Fisher,  "Hawks  and  Owls  of  the  United  States  in  their  Rela- 
tion to  Agriculture.") 

Its  only  redeeming  trait  is  that  it  kills  English  Sparrows  as 
well  as  other  birds. 

Of  159  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  6  contained  poultry 
or  game  birds;  99,  other  birds;  6,  mice;  5,  insects;  and  52  were 
empty.  Of  two  stomachs  examined  by  Mr.  G.  V.  Smith  in  Con- 
necticut, one  contained  a  sparrow,  and  the  other  a  grasshopper. 
Of  21  examined  by  the  author,  12  were  empty;  and  the  other 
9  all  contained  birds,  among  which  were  recognized  one  Flicker, 
one  Goldfinch,  sparrows,  and  warblers. 

Similar  in  plumage  and  habits  to  the  Sharp-shinned,  but 
slightly  larger,  Cooper's  Hawk  (Accipiter  cooperi)  is  also  to  be 
condemned.  This  is  the  true  "  Hen  Hawk,"  its  food  consisting 
largely  of  poultry,  domestic  pigeons,  and  game;  and  for  its  mis- 
deeds many  a  hapless  buzzard-hawk  has  been  killed. 

Of  133  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  34  contained  poultry 
or  game  birds;  52,  other  birds;  n,  mammals;  I,  a  frog;  3, 
lizards ;  and  29  were  empty.  Dr.  Coues  says,  "  it  attacks  and 
destroys  hares,  grouse,  teal,  and  even  the  young  of  larger 
ducks  "  ("  Birds  of  the  Northwest,"  p.  338).  Dr.  B.  H.  Warren 
writes :  "  Of  the  thirty-four  birds  which  I  have  examined,  sixr 
teen  showed  the  food  taken  to  have  been  chickens;  ten  revealed 
small  birds  —  sparrows,  warblers,  and  meadowlarks  ;  two,,  quail ; 
one,  bull-frog;  three,  mice  and  insects;  two,  hair  and  other  re- 
mains of  small  quadrupeds  "  ("  Birds  of  Pennsylvania,"  1888,  p. 
80).  Three  stomachs  examined  by  the  author  were  all  empty, 
but  one  bird  was  shot  while  killing  a  chicken. 

The  Pigeon  Hawk  (Falco  columbarius  columbcvrius)  must 
also  be  classed  among  the  injurious  species,  its  food  consisting 
chiefly  of  birds ;  but  it  occurs  with  us  only  as  a.  by  no  means  com- 
mon spring  and  fall  migrant. 


276  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Of  56  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  2  contained  poultry; 
41,  small  birds;  2,  mice;  16,  insects;  and  5  were  empty.  Pigeons 
and  flickers,  robins,  and  the  various  blackbirds  are  favorites  in 
the  Pigeon  Hawk's  dietary,  and  it  has  been  known  to  kill  a 
ptarmigan  and  a  domestic  hen.  Three  stomachs  examined  by 
the  author  contained  birds. 

The  only  other  Hawk  not  distinctly  beneficial  is  the  Osprey  or 
Fish  Hawk  (Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis) .  Its  food  consists 
wholly  of  fish ;  but,  as  the  latter  are  not  generally  species  used  by 
us  for  food,  it  cannot  be  considered  harmful. 

The  Marsh  Hawk  (Circus  hudsonius),  distinguished  by  its 
white  rump,  spends  its  time  beating  back  and  forth  over  the 
meadows  after  field  mice,  although  it  may  have  recourse  to  small 
birds  or  chickens  when  driven  by  hunger.  A  nest  containing  four 
young  and  one  hatching  egg,  was  found  by  the  author  on  June 
12,  1900,  in  a  meadow  at  Warren  not  far  from  a  farmhouse  where 
there  were  many  young  chickens.  These  chickens  were  not  dis- 
turbed until  after  June  I5th,  when  the  male  was  shot  and  sent 
to  the  author.  Its  stomach  contained  a  mouse.  Three  days  later 
came  the  female  and  one  of  the  young  with  the  statement  that, 
as  soon  as  the  male  was  killed,  the  female  began  to  prey  on  the 
chickens.  The  proofs  of  this  were  the  remains  of  a  young  chicken 
and  the  shell  of  a  robin's  egg  in  the  stomach  of  the  female,  while 
that  of  the  young  bird  contained  a  mouse. 

Of  124  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  7  contained  poultry 
or  game  birds ;  34,  other  birds ;  57,  mice ;  22,  other  mammals ;  7, 
reptiles;  2,  frogs;  14,  insects;  I,  indeterminate  matter;  and  8 
were  empty.  Mr.  E.  T.  Judd  found  three  birds  in  the  stomach 
of  one  shot  in  North  Dakota,  and  Mr.  G.  V.  Smith  found  birds 
in  two  he  shot  near  New  Haven.  Of  n  stomachs  examined  by 
the  author,  4  were  empty;  5  contained  mammals;  3,  birds;  I,  a 
snake;  and  I,  a  robin's  egg. 

Our  Buzzard-hawks  —  Red-tailed,  Red-shouldered,  and 
Broad- winged  (Buteo  borealis  borealis,  lineatus  lineatus,  and 
platypterus)  are  the  birds  we  see  sailing  in  wide  circles  high  over 
head.  They  are  rather  sluggish  in  temperament,  seldom  catch 
birds  and  still  more  rarely  poultry,  and  are  among  the  most  useful 
allies  the  agriculturist  possesses  in  his  contest  with  field  mice  and 
other  injurious  small  mammals.  The  Broad-winged  Hawk  also 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  277 

devours  numbers  of  the  large  caterpillars  so  destructive  to  forests 
and  shade  trees.  The  Red-tailed  and  Red-shouldered  Hawks 
stay  with  us  all  the  year,  breeding  in  tall  trees;  the  former,  on 
the  hills  of  the  interior,  the  latter,  in  the  marshy  woodlands  near 
the  coast;  but  the  Broad-winged  is  common  only  for  a  limited 
time  in  the  fall. 

Of  562  stomachs  of  the  Red-tailed  Hawk  reported  by  Dr. 
Fisher,  54  contained  poultry  or  game  birds;  51,  other  birds;  278, 
mice ;  131,  other  mammals ;  37,  batrachians  or  reptiles ;  47,  insects ; 
8,  crawfish;  I,  centipeds;  13,  offal;  and  89  were  empty.  From 
this  study  Dr.  Fisher  has  found  that  at  least  85  per  cent  of  the 
food  of  this  hawk  is  composed  of  injurious  rodents ;  which  cer- 
tainly shows  it  deserves  protection.  Of  173  stomachs  examined 
by  Dr.  Warren,  128  contained  mice,  and  once  he  found  7  mice  in 
one  stomach  ("  Birds  of  Penn.,"  1888,  p.  86).  Mr.  C.  L.  Rawson 
has  reported  finding  near  Norwich  in  one  nest  of  this  hawk  the 
remains  of  9  red  squirrels,  and  of  7  in  another  (Ornithologist 
and  Oologist,  Vol.  8,  1883,  p.  17).  Of  five  stomachs  examined 
by  the  author,  one  was  empty,  and  four  contained  mammals, 
chiefly  squirrels. 

Regarding  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk,  our  most  common 
breeding  species  near  the  coast,  Dr.  Fisher  writes,  "  It  is  ex- 
tremely improbable  that  this  slow-flying  Hawk  often  captures 
birds,  except  such  as  are  disabled,"  and  quotes  a  letter  from  Mr. 
J.  Alden  Loring,  of  Owego,  Tioga  County,  New  York :  "  The 
pair  reared  their  young  for  two  years  in  a  small  swampy  piece  of 
woods  about  50  rods  from  a  poultry  farm  which  contained  800 
young  chickens  and  400  ducks,  and  the  keeper  told  me  he  had 
never  seen  hawks  attempt  to  catch  one."  Dr.  Fisher  reports  that, 
of  220  stomachs  examined,  3  contained  poultry;  12,  other  birds; 
1 02,  mice  ;  40,  other  mammals  ;  20,  reptiles  ;  39,  batrachians  ;  92, 
insects;  16,  spiders;  7,  crawfish;  I,  earthworms;  2,  offal;  3,  fish; 
and  14  were  empty.  Dr.  Warren  found  field  mice  in  43  of  57 
stomachs  examined.  Of  9  stomachs  examined  by  the  author,  5 
were  empty;  3  contained  mammals;  I,  a  snake;  and  2,  insects. 

About  the  Broad-winged  Hawk,  Dr.  Fisher  reports  that,  of 
65  stomachs  examined,  2  contained  small  birds;  15,  mice;  13, 
other  mammals;  n,  reptiles;  13,  batrachians;  30,  insects;  2,  earth- 
worms ;  4,  crawfish ;  and  7  were  empty.  Of  12  stomachs  examined 


278  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

by  Dr.  Warren,  4  contained  mice;  3,  small  birds;  4,  frogs;  I, 
crawfish  and  traces  of  coleopterous  insects.  Of  6  stomachs  ex- 
amined by  the  author,  2  contained  mammals;  and  all  6,  insects, 
among  which  were  cicadas,  katydids,  grasshoppers,  beetles,  and 
various  large  caterpillars. 

The  Rough-legged  Hawk  (Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti- 
johannis)  occurs  with  us  only  as  a  rather  rare  winter  resident, 
but  is  altogether  useful  in  its  feeding  habits.  All  of  eleven 
stomachs  examined  by  Dr.  Warren  contained  field  mice;  while, 
of  49  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  40  contained  mice;  5,  other 
mammals;  I,  lizards;  I,  insects;  and  4  were  empty.. 

The  Golden  E/agle  (Aquila  chrysaetos)  is  only  a  straggler 
with  us;  and  the  Bald  Eagle  (Hali&etus  leucocephalus)  is  so 
rare  that  its  food  is  of  little  importance.  It  feeds  largely  on  fish, 
carrion,  small  mammals,  and  occasionally  waterfowl. 

The  little  Sparrow  Hawk  (Falco  sparverius  sparverius} , 
chiefly  distinguishable  from  the  Sharp-shinned  by  its  long  and 
pointed  wings  and  its  habit  of  hovering  in  the  air,  is  one  of  our 
most  useful  birds,  as  its  food  is  principally  grasshoppers.  Of 
320  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  I  contained  a  game-bird; 
53,  other  birds;  89,  mice;  12,  other  mammals;  12,  reptiles  or 
batrachians;  215,  insects;  29,  spiders;  and  29  were  empty.  Of 
65  stomachs  examined  by  Dr.  Warren,  31  contained  field  mice; 
23,  grasshoppers  and  beetles ;  7,  small  birds ;  2,  meadowlarks ; 
I,  a  mouse  and  small  birds;  and  I,  insects  and  small  birds.  Of 
10  stomachs  examined  by  the  author,  2  were  empty ;  3  contained 
mammals,  chiefly  mice;  and  5,  insects,  largely  grasshoppers. 

OWLS. 

Strigida. 

Of  the  six  Owls  occurring  regularly  in  Connecticut,  the  habits 
of  only  one  — the  Great  Horned  Owl  (Bubo  virginianus  vir- 
ginianus)—zre  such  as  to  deserve  ostracism.  Its  strength, 
ferocity,  and  courage  are  great,  and  it  has  well  been  called  the 
tiger  of  the  air.  One  who  has  seen  the  fury  gleaming  from  the 
eyes  of  a  pair  of  these  birds  when  he  is  at  their  nest  has  had  an 
experience  he  will  not  soon  forget.  Both  mammals  and  birds  are 
its  prey,  and  large  ones  at  that;  rabbits,  squirrels,  and  skunks 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  279 

among  the  former,  and  quail,  ducks,  partridges,  and  domestic 
fowls  among  the  latter,  are  the  chief  sufferers.  Large  hawks, 
crows,  and  other  owls  also  are  often  killed  and  eaten.  Dr. 
Merriam  states:  "It  feeds  on  the  larger  game  (hares,  grouse, 
and  the  like),  not  forgetting  the  poultry  yard,  and  seems  par- 
ticularly fond  of  turkeys,  of  which  it  seldom  touches  more  than 
the  head,  if  there  are  a  plenty  about.  Indeed,  I  have  known  one 
to  kill  and  decapitate  three  turkeys  and  several  hens  in  a  single 
night,  leaving  the  bodies  uninjured  and  fit  for  the  table."  (Mer- 
riam, "  Birds  of  Connecticut,"  p.  67.)  Dr.  Fisher  calls  this  Owl 
the  most  destructive  to  poultry  of  all  our  birds  of  prey,  with  the 
possible  exception  of  the  Goshawk  and  Cooper's  Hawk,  and 
quotes  Dr.  P.  R.  Hoy  as  writing,  "  The  specimen  in  the  collection 
of  the  Academy  was  known  to  carry  off  from  one  farm,  in  the 
space  of  a  month,  not  less  than  twenty-seven  individuals  of 
various  kinds  of  poultry  before  it  was  shot."  Of  the  127  stom- 
achs reported  by  him,  31  contained  poultry  or  game  birds;  8, 
other  birds;  13,  mice;  65,  other  mammals;  I,  a  scorpion;  i,  fish; 
10,  insects ;  and  17  were  empty.  Of  16  examined  by  Dr.  Warren, 
ii  contained  poultry;  2,  rabbits;  2,  mice;  I,  a  mammal;  and  I, 
insects.  Of  3  stomachs  examined  by  the  author,  i  was  empty ; 
i  contained  a  mass  of  bones  and  feathers,  including  those  of  a 
Robin  and  Crow;  and  i,  many  small  birds.  In  a  nest  containing 
three  young  just  hatched,  visited  by  him  on  March  9,  1904,  was 
a  dead  Screech  Owl  and  three  mice.  The  bodies  of  1 13  rats, 
chiefly  killed  within  the  last  ten  days,  have  been  found  under  a 
nest  of  this  owl  containing  young.  Little  claim  has  this  bird  to 
our  protection,  but  it  is  rare  through  most  of  the  state. 

Our  other  five  Owls  are  all  useful,  some  of  them  almost  ex- 
clusively so,  and  should  be  afforded  full  protection. 

The  Barred  Owl  (Strix  varia  varia)  is  next  in  size  to  the 
Great  Horned  Owl,  and  much  more  common,  especially  near  the 
coast.  While  its  food  is  largely  the  same  as  that  of  the  last 
species,  its  incursions  into  the  poultry  yard  are  less  frequent,  its 
pursuit  of  game  less  eager,  and  its  relish  for  mice  and  other 
injurious  mammals  far  greater.  A  taste  for  small  owls  frequently 
indulged  in  by  this  species  must  be  counted  against  it,  as  these 
owls  are  altogether  useful.  Dr.  Fisher  reports  finding  the  remains 
of  small  owls  in  seven  stomachs  of  these  birds,  and  quotes  two 


28<D  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

incidents  of  Screech  Owls  having  thus  been  found  by  others. 
Several  times  in  pellets,  probably  of  this  owl,  found  in  the  woods 
near  New  Haven,  the  author  has  noticed  feathers  of  Screech  and 
Saw-whet  Owls,  and  once  found  the  latter  in  the  stomach  of  a 
Barred  Owl.  Of  109  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  5  con- 
tained poultry  or  game;  13,  other  birds;  46,  mice;  18,  other 
mammals;  4,  frogs;  I,  a  lizard;  2,  fish;  14,  insects;  2,  spiders; 
9,  crawfish;  and  20  were  empty.  Of  8  stomachs  examined  by 
Dr.  Warren,  4  contained  mice;  2,  other  mammals;  2,  poultry; 
2,  other  birds;  and  4,  beetles.  Of  14  examined  by  the  author, 
7  were  empty ;  6  contained  mammals  —  mice  and  squirrels ;  and 
i,  a  Saw- whet  Owl. 

The  Short-eared  Owl  (Asio  ftainmeus]  is  with  us  only  in 
the  fall  and  early  spring,  when  it  inhabits  our  marshes.  The 
chief  food  of  this  bird  is  mice,  and  there  are  many  accounts  of 
the  manner  in  which  these  owls  have  flocked  to  the  infested  dis- 
trict, when  different  parts  of  Europe  have  suffered  with  plagues 
of  these  animals.  Of  101  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Fisher,  n 
contained  small  birds;  77,  mice;  7,  other  mammals;  7,  insects; 
and  14  were  empty.  Of  1 1  stomachs  reported  by  Dr.  Warren,  all 
contained  mice;  and  2,  beetles.  Three  stomachs  examined  by 
the  author  in  Alaska  contained  either  mice  or  shrews ;  and  one 
examined  by  Mr.  E.  T.  Judd  in  North  Dakota  contained  a  mouse 
and  grasshoppers. 

But  there  is  another  side  to  this  picture  that  should  not  be 
forgotten,  useful  on  the  whole  as  the  Short-eared  Owl  must  be 
considered.  One  stomach  of  a  California  bird  examined  by  the 
author  contained  a  blackbird ;  and  the  stomachs  of  four  Con- 
necticut birds  held  only  birds,  including  a  Meadowlark  and  spar- 
rows ;  while  at  the  spots  these  owls  frequent  on  our  salt  marshes 
he  has  found  many  evidences  of  their  destructiveness  to  birds, 
including  once  feathers  of  a  Yellow  Rail,  and  pellets  containing 
those  of  the  Meadowlark,  Robin,  and  Towhee.  Another  serious 
deviation  from  a  mice  diet  has  been  reported  by  Mr.  William 
Brewster  (Bulletin  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  Vol.  4,  1879, 
p.  19).  He  found  in  June,  1870,  a  small  colony  of  these  owls 
living  among  the  terns  of  Muskeget  Island,  and  noticed  in  the 
grass  of  their  retreat  the  remains  of  at  least  100  terns  that  they 
had  killed.  The  breast  only  had  been  eaten  in  each  instance. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  28l 

More  consistently  useful  than  either  of  these  Owls  is  the 
Long-eared  Owl  (Asio  wilsonianus)  ;  for  its  food  is  almost 
wholly  field  mice,  as  many  as  eight  having  been  found  in  one 
stomach;  and  it  is  deserving  of  most  thorough  protection.  It 
is  by  no  means  common  through  most  of  the  state,  and  is  usually 
shot  at  sight.  Dr.  Warren  writes :  "  I  have  examined  the 
stomachs  of  twenty-three  Long-eared  Owls,  and  found  that 
twenty-two  of  them  had  fed  only  on  mice ;  the  other  examination 
made  of  a  specimen  taken  in  the  late  spring,  showed  some  beetles 
and  portions  of  a  small  bird."  Dr.  Fisher  reports  that,  of  107 
stomachs  examined,  I  contained  a  game-bird;  15,  other  birds; 
84,  mice;  5,  other  mammals;  I,  insects;  and  15  were  empty.  Of 
14  examined  by  the  author,  6  were  empty;  the  other  8  all  con- 
tained mammals,  chiefly  mice;  and  I,  a  small  bird. 

About  the  villages  and  orchards  the  little  Screech  Owl  (Otus 
asio  asio)  is  by  far  the  most  abundant  of  our  owls,  and  un- 
doubtedly helps  in  keeping  down  the  number  of  English  Spar- 
rows, although  mice  and  insects  are  the  chief  diet.  It  has  been 
known  to  kill  quail  and  woodcock,  though  rarely ;  and  once  sixteen 
horned  pouts  were  found  in  the  nest  of  this  bird  in  the  depth 
of  winter.  All  authorities  agree  that  its  food  in  summer  consists 
chiefly  of  insects.  Mr.  George  C.  Jones  of  Brookfield  Center, 
Connecticut,  writes  in  Dr.  Fisher's  work  that  he  has  found  cut- 
worms in  the  stomachs  of  the  Long-eared  Owl  and  this  species, 
and  believes  these  birds  the  most  efficient  exterminators  of  this 
pest  so  formidable  to  tobacco  growers.  Of  255  stomachs  reported 
by  Dr.  Fisher,  I  contained  poultry;  38,  other  birds;  91,  mice; 
u,  other  mammals;  2,  lizards;  4,  batrachians;  I,  fish;  100,  in- 
sects; 5,  spiders;  9,  crawfish;  2,  scorpions;  2,  earthworms;  7, 
miscellaneous  material;  and  43  were  empty.  Of  27  stomachs 
examined  by  Dr.  Warren,  20  contained  mice  and  insects;  5, 
small  birds;  and  2,  small  birds  and  insects.  Of  7  examined  by 
the  author,  3  were  empty ;  3  contained  mammals,  chiefly  mice ; 
and  i,  insects. 

Our  smallest  owl,  the  Saw-whet  or  Acadian  (Cryptoglaux 
acadica  acadica)  seems  to  be  rare  throughout  the  state,  and  has 
only  been  taken  at  all  frequently  during  the  winter.  Many  of 
those  recorded  have  been  found  dead,  apparently  starved.  Mice 
are  almost  its  only  food,  although  an  entire  flying  squirrel  has 


282  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bltll. 

been  reported  in  the  stomach  of  this  bird.  Of  22  stomachs  re- 
ported by  Dr.  Fisher,  17  contained  mice;  I,  a  bird;  i,  an  insect; 
and  3  were  empty.  Of  4  stomachs  examined  by  the  author,  3 
contained  mice;  and  I  was  empty. 

The  Snowy  Owl  (Nyctea  nyctea)  is  a  rare  winter  resident 
in  the  state,  most  common  near  the  seashore.  Dr.  Fisher  finds 
it  a  useful  bird.  Of  38  stomachs  examined  by  him,  2  contained 
game  birds;  9,  other  birds;  18,  mice;  2,  other  mammals;  and  12 
were  empty. 

CUCKOOS. 
Cuculidce. 

Especially  deserving  of  protection  are  our  Cuckoos,  the 
Black-billed  (Coccyzus  erythropht halmus) ,  and  the  Yellow- 
billed  (C&ccyzus  americanus  americanus)  ;  as  they  feed  chiefly 
on  the  caterpillars  that  infest  the  trees  of  the  woods  and  orchards, 
and  are  among  the  few  birds  that  eat  the  hairy  species.  "  In  fact, 
cuckoos  eat  so  many  hairy  caterpillars  that  the  hairs  pierce  the 
inner  lining  of  the  stomach  and  remain  there,  so  that,  when  the 
stomach  is  opened  and  turned  inside  out,  it  appears  to  be  lined 
with  a  thin  coating  of  fur."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in 
Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

"  The  insect  food  of  cuckoos  consists  of  beetles,  grasshoppers, 
cicadas,  bugs,  ants,  wasps,  flies,  caterpillars,  and  spiders,  of  which 
grasshoppers  and  caterpillars  constitute  more  than  three-fourths. 
The  great  majority  of  the  insects  found  in  the  stomachs  were 
harmful  kinds.  Caterpillars,  katydids,  and  tree  crickets  are 
exactly  the  prey  that  cuckoos  might  be  expected*to  secure,  from 
their  peculiar  method  of  hunting  in  foliage ;  while  the  large  num- 
bers of  grasshoppers  eaten  furnish  additional  proof  of  the  fact 
so  often  illustrated  that  birds  are  particularly  fond  of  grass- 
hoppers, and  that  species  not  naturally  ground  feeders  become 
so  during  the  grasshopper  season. 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  common  observation  that  cuckoos  feed 
largely  on  caterpillars;  and  stomach  investigations  not  only  con- 
firm this,  but  show  that,  unlike  most  other  birds,  they  eat  freely 
of  hairy  and  bristly  species.  Nearly  half  of  the  cuckoo's  food 
was  found  to  be  caterpillars.  An  attempt  was  made  to  obtain 
an  approximate  idea  of  the  actual  number  in  the  stomachs  by 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  283 

counting  the  heads  and  jaws;  but  in  many  cases  this  was  nearly 
impossible,  as  many  of  the  insects  were  very  young  and  the  jaws 
consequently  minute.  The  result  of  this  estimate,  however, 
showed  that  no  less  than  2,771  caterpillars  were  contained  in  129 
stomachs,  or  an  average  of  more  than  21  in  each.  If  the  whole 
number  of  stomachs  (155)  is  considered,  the  average  is  reduced 
to  18;  and  it  is  absolutely  certain  that  this  is  much  below  the 
actual  number. 

"  During  May  and  June,  when  tent  caterpillars  are  defoliating 
the  fruit  trees,  these  insects  constitute  half  of  the  Cuckoo's  food. 
When  Cuckoos  visit  the  nest  of  the  tent  caterpillars  they  ap- 
parently eat  as  many  of  the  occupants  as  possible.  Most  of  the 
stomachs  that  contained  the  larvae  at  all  were  filled  with  them, 
some  having  more  than  100  individuals."  (Beal,,  "  The  Food  of 
Cuckoos/') 

"  An  examination  of  the  stomachs  of  16  Black-billed  Cuckoos, 
taken  during  the  summer  months,  showed  the  remains  of  328 
caterpillars,  n  beetles,  15  grasshoppers,  63  sawflies,  3  stink-bugs, 
and  4  spiders."  "  Of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  21  stomachs,  col- 
lected from  May  to  October,  inclusive,  were  examined.  The 
contents  consisted  of  355  caterpillars,  18  beetles,  23  grasshoppers, 
31  sawflies,  14  bugs,  6  flies,  and  12  spiders.  As  in  the  case  of 
the  Black-billed  Cuckoo,  most  of  the  caterpillars  belonged  to  hairy 
species,  and  many  of  them  were  of  large  size."  (Beal,  "  Some 
Common  Birds  in  their  relation  to  Agriculture.") 

KINGFISHERS. 
Alcedinidce. 

The  Belted  Kingfisher  (Ceryle  alcyon)  feeds  chiefly  on  small 
fish,  the  vast  majority  of  which  are  of  no  economic  value.  Mice, 
frogs,  and  grasshoppers  are  also  said  to  be  occasionally  captured, 
and  the  young  are  fed  with  various  aquatic  insects.  (Weed  and 
Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Man.")  Its  chief  value, 
however,  is  an  sesthetic  one,  the  boldly  marked  form  and  noisy 
rattle  adding  interest  to  the  shore  of  lake,  river,  and  sound. 


284  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bulk 

WOODPECKERS. 
Pirida. 

Of  the  four  Woodpeckers  that  now  occur  in  any  numbers 
in  Connecticut,  the  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker  (Sphyrapicus 
varius  varius]  is  the  only  harmful  species ;  and  it  is  with  us  only 
as  a  tolerably  common  spring  and  fall  migrant.  This  is  the  species 
that  drills  the  series  of  small  circular  openings  so  often  found  on 
the  trunks  of  apple  trees,  to  eat  the  inner  layer  of  bark  and  drink 
the  sap  that  exudes  into  these  tiny  cups.  Birches  and  the  moun- 
tain ash  are  favorites  with  this  bird,  on  account  of  their  abun- 
dant sweet  sap;  and  the  trees  are  sometimes  killed  by  too  per- 
sistent tapping.  In  the  Turtle  Mountains  of  North  Dakota  the 
author  has  noticed  that  most  of  the  larger  birches  that  showed 
evidences  of  this  bird's  work  were  dead  at  the  top.  But  not  alone 
for  the  sap  and  bark  does  the  sapsucker  drill  these  holes ;  he  has 
a  choice  feast  from  the  insects  that  are  attracted  (Merriamr 
Bulletin  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  Vol.  4,  1879,  p.  3).  A  cer- 
tain amount  of  insect  food  is  necessary  to  the  species  at  least  in 
youth ;  for  young  birds  fed  as  exclusively  as  possible  on  a  diet  of 
maple  syrup  died  with  the  symptoms  of  starvation,  and  the 
stomachs  of  eight  adults  shot  in  June  and  July  were  full  of  in- 
sects. (Bolles,  The  Auk,  Vol.  8,  1891,  p.  269,  and  Vol.  9,  1892, 
p.  119.) 

Professor  Beal  reports  that  in  313  stomachs  examined  the 
vegetable  part  more  than  equaled  the  animal;  34.31  per  cent  of 
the  entire  food  consisted  of  ants,  the  rest  of  the  animal  portion 
being  wasps,  beetles,  flies,  bugs,  grasshoppers,  crickets,  and  May- 
flies ;  while  the  chief  items  of  the  vegetable  portion  are  fruit  and 
cambium.  (Beal,  "  Food  of  the  Woodpeckers  of  the  United 
States.") 

Our  commonest  and  smallest  Woodpecker,  the  Downyv 
(Dryobates  pubescens  medianus)  is  also  the  most  useful.  In  140 
stomachs  Prof.  Beal  reports  there  was  found  74  per  cent  of  in- 
sects, 25  per  cent  of  vegetable  matter,  and  I  per  cent  of  mineral 
matter  or  sand.  "  The  ants  constitute  almost  one-third  of  all  the 
animal  food,  or  about  23  per  cent  of  the  whole,  indicating  a  very 
decided  taste  for  this  rather  acid  and  highly  flavored  article  of 
diet.  Beetles  stand  a  little  higher  in  order  of  importance,  amount- 
ing to  about  one-third  of  the  entire  insect  food,  or  somewhat  more 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  285 

than  24  per  cent  of  all.  Many  of  these  belong  to  the  family  of 
May-beetles,  a  few  were  the  predaceous  ground  beetles,  but  by 
far  the  greatest  number  were  wood-boring  larvse  —  a  fact  show- 
ing that  this  little  bird,  while  securing  his  dinner,  is  doing  good 
work  for  the  forest.  One-fifth  of  the  animal  food,  or  16  per  cent 
of  the  total,  consists  of  caterpillars,  many  of  which  apparently 
are  wood-boring  species ;  others  are  kinds  that  live  on  stems  and 
foliage.  Among  insects  the  most  interesting  are  the  bugs 
(Hemiptera),  which  are  represented  in  the  stomachs  by  several 
species,  notably  by  plant  lice  (Aphides),  which  in  several  in- 
stances were  found  in  considerable  quantities,  amounting  to  4 
per  cent  of  the  whole  food."  (Beal,  "  Preliminary  Report  on  the 
Food  of  Woodpeckers/') 

In  the  vegetable  food  were  found  the  seeds  of  different  ber- 
ries, including  poison  ivy.  It  thus  becomes  evident  that  these 
little  birds  are  not  engaged  in  harming  the  trees,  when  we  see 
them  pecking  from  limb  to  limb,  but  hunting  for  wood-boring 
insects  and  the  like. 

The  great  usefulness  of  the  Downy  Woodpecker  has  been 
in  recent  years  abundantly  proved  by  more  extended  observa- 
tions of  the  Biological  Survey.  The  contents  of  723  stomachs 
consisted  of  76.05  per  cent  of  animal  matter  and  only  23.95  per 
cent  of  vegetable.  "  The  foregoing  discussion  of  the  Downy 
Woodpecker  shows  it  to  be  one  of  our  most  useful  species.  The 
only  complaint  against  the  bird  is  on  the  score  of  disseminating 
the  poisonous  species  of  Rhus.  However,  it  is  fortunate  that 
the  bird  can  live  on  this  food  when  it  is  difficult  to  procure  any- 
thing else.  The  insect  food  selected  by  the  Downy  is  almost  all 
of  species  economically  harmful."  (Beal,  "  Food  of  the  Wood- 
peckers of  the  United  States.") 

The  food  of  the  Hairy  Woodpecker  (Dryobates  villosus 
villosus)  is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  Downy,  but  the  vegeta- 
ble percentage  is  somewhat  greater. 

The  Flicker,  or  Yellow-hammer  (Colaptes  auratus  luteus), 
the  largest  of  our  common  woodpeckers  and  the  most  abundant 
near  the  coast  in  the  fall,  lives  largely  on  ants,  over  2,000  having 
been  found  in  each  of  two  stomachs  by  Professor  Beal.  As  ants 
protect  and  help  to  spread  plant  lice  of  various  species,  their  de- 
struction by  the  Flicker  is  advantageous.  Professor  Beal  found, 


286  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

in  230  stomachs  examined,  56  per  cent  of  animal  matter,  39  per 
cent  of  vegetable,  and  5  per  cent  of  mineral.  More  than  three- 
fourths  of  the  animal  matter  consisted  of  ants,  but  spiders, 
beetles,  and  myriapods  were  also  present.  Of  the  vegetable  mat- 
ter, corn  and  buckwheat  were  found  in  only  six  stomachs,  the 
rest  consisting  of  various  berries  and  seeds,  many  of  them  those 
of  weeds.  In  a  later  report,  Professor  Beal  states  that  60.92  per 
cent  of  the  contents  of  684  stomachs  was  animal  matter,  and  39.08 
per  cent  vegetable.  "  It  eats  only  a  few  predaceous  ground 
beetles.  The  remainder  of  the  animal  food  is  entirely  of  harmful 
species.  In  its  vegetable  diet,  grain  and  fruit  are  the  only  useful 
products  eaten,  and  the  quantities  are  insignificant.  The  bird, 
like  many  others,  has  the  bad  habit  of  sowing  broadcast  the  seeds 
of  the  poison  Rhus,  but  there  seems  no  remedy  for  this."  (Beal, 
"  Food  of  the  Woodpeckers  of  the  United  States.") 

NIGHTHAWKS  and  WHIP-POOR-WILLS. 

Caprimulgidce. 

The  Whip-poor-will  (Antrostomus  vociferus  vociferus) 
and  the  Nighthawk  (Chordeiles  virginianus  virginianus)  subsist 
almost  entirely  on  the  different  night-flying  insects.  Moths,  beetles, 
and  injurious  grasshoppers  form  a  large  portion  of  the  food  of  the 
Whip-poor-will  (Weed  and  Dearborn)  ;  and  Mr.  Nash  found 
the  stomach  of  one  filled  with  large  wingless  ants  (Nash,  "  Birds 
of  Ontario").  Flying  Nighthawks  shot  in  the  evening  by  the 
author  in  North  Dakota  have  almost  invariably  had  the  entire 
throat  crowded  full  of  insects,  and  the  thick  coating  of  fat  on 
these  birds  shows  how  abundant  they  find  this  food.  "  It  is  a 
great  insect  eater,  its  food  consisting  of  May-flies,  dragon-flies, 
beetles  of  many  kinds,  water-boatmen,  scorpion-flies,  bugs  of 
various  sorts,  and  many  grasshoppers.  From  seven  Nebraska 
specimens  Professor  Aughey  took  three  hundred  and  forty-eight 
Rocky  Mountain  locusts,  an  average  of  forty-nine  to  each  bird. 
An  Arkansas  specimen  examined  by  F.  L.  Harvey  contained 
more  than  six  hundred  insects  —  gnats,  beetles,  flies,  ants,  and 
grasshoppers.  Professor  Herrick  has  found  that  the  young  are 
fed  largely  on  firefly  beetles."  (Weed  and  Dearborn.)  Yet  this 
bird,  whose  whole  existence  is  given  to  keeping  insect  pests  under, 
is  shot  in  wantonness  by  almost  every  boy  with  a  gun,  until  it  is 


No.    20.]  THE    BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  287 

now  seldom  seen,  though  formerly  common  in  every  rocky  pas- 
ture throughout  the  state. 

SWIFTS. 

Micropodidce. 

The  Chimney  Swift  (Chcetura  pelagica)  also  feeds  entirely 
on  insects ;  and  the  number  of  these  it  must  capture  each  day  is 
indicated  by  the  writhing  mass  in  its  throat,  when  it  has  coursed 
an  hour  or  so  through  the  air.  "  Their  food  is  varied,  probably 
consisting  of  almost  all  the  flying  insects  with  which  they  come 
in  contact.  Three  specimens  studied  by  Professor  S.  A.  Forbes 
had  eafen  ants,  moths,  ground  beetles,  rove-beetles,  plant  beetles, 
flies,  bugs,  and  spiders.  The  young  are  fed  largely  upon  grass- 
hoppers when  these  are  abundant,  and  at  other  times  on  various 
kinds  of  insects."  (Weed  and  Dearborn.) 

HUMMINGBIRDS. 
Trochilida. 

Although  the  few  small  insects  which  our  solitary  Humming- 
bird, the  Ruby-throated  (Archilochus  colubris),  eats  while 
sipping  the  honey  from  flowers,  or  the  sap  at  the  cups  of  the  Sap- 
sucker,  may  not  be  of  economic  importance,  its  beauty  should 
certainly  gain  our  protection. 

FLYCATCHERS. 
Tyrannida. 

As  their  name  implies,  the  Flycatchers  are  insect  eaters. 
These  they  obtain  chiefly  by  darting  from  a  limb  or  post  and 
seizing  them  in  the  air,  but  occasionally  hunt  for  them  on  the 
ground.  Only  five  species  of  them  are  common  enough  with  us 
to  be  of  any  economic  importance,  and  of  these  the  Kingbird 
(Tyrannus  tyrannus)  is  the  largest  and  most  numerous.  Locally 
known  as  "  Bee  Martin  "  on  account  of  its  supposed  fondness 
for  bees,  this  bird  has  obtained  an  evil  reputation  that  seems  to 
be  undeserved.  Mr.  Nash  quotes  a  Mr.  Thacideus  Smith  as 
writing,  "  I  have  been  here  over  thirty  years,  and  at  one  time 
made  the  science  of  apiculture  a  special  study,  raising  choice 


288  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Italian  queens,  etc.  Kingbirds  are  here  every  season,  and  are  to 
be  seen  around  my  beehives.  Years  ago  I  killed  some  and 
examined  their  stomachs,  and  found  them  full  of  bees,  but  nearly 
every  bee  in  them  was  a  drone;  I  found  only  one  worker  bee. 
You  know  the  drones  have  no  sting,  and,  as  their  name  implies, 
they  are  of  no  use  in  the  hive.  They  are  the  male  bees,  and  their 
only  use  is  to  fertilize  the  queen  bee.  The  only  damage  the  King- 
bird can  do  is  that  they  might  sometimes  catch  the  young  queen 
while  on  her  wedding  flight,  as  her  size  and  slow  flight  make  her 
quite  conspicuous.  But  the  possibility  of  this  happening  is  so 
slight  that  I  never  now  shoot  the  Kingbird."  (Nash,  "  Birds  of 
Ontario  in  relation  to  Agriculture.") 

"  The  Kingbird  manifests  its  presence  in  many  ways.  It  is 
somewhat  boisterous  and  obtrusive,  and  its  antipathy  for  hawks 
and  crows  is  well  known.  It  never  hesitates  to  give  battle  to  any 
of  these  marauders,  no  matter  how  superior  in  size,  and  for  this 
reason  a  family  of  Kingbirds  is  a  desirable  adjunct  to  a  poultry 
yard.  On  one  occasion  in  the  knowledge  of  the  writer,  a  hawk 
which  attacked  a  brood  of  young  turkeys  was  pounced  upon  and 
so  severely  buffeted  by  a  pair  of  Kingbirds,  whose  nest  was  near 
by,  that  the  would-be  robber  was  glad  to  escape  without  his  prey. 
Song  birds  that  nest  near  the  Kingbird  are  similarly  protected." 

"  The  Biological  Survey  -has  made  an  examination  of  281 
stomachs  collected  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  but  found 
only  14  containing  remains  of  honeybees.  In  these  14  stomachs 
there  were  in  all  50  honeybees,  of  which  40  were  drones,  4  were 
certainly  workers,  and  the  remaining  6  were  too  badly  broken  to 
be  identified  as  to  sex. 

"  The  insects  that  constitute  the  great  bulk  of  the  food  of  this 
bird  are  noxious  species,  largely  beetles  —  May  beetles,  click 
beetles  (the  larvae  of  which  are  known  as  wireworms),  weevils, 
which  prey  upon  fruit  and  grain,  and  a  host  of  others.  Wasps, 
wild  bees,  and  ants  are  conspicuous  elements  of  the  food,  far 
outnumbering  the  hive  bees.  During  summer  many  grass- 
hoppers and  crickets,  as  well  as  leaf-hoppers  and  other  bugs,  are 
also  eaten.  Among  the  flies  were  a  number  of  robber  flies  —  in- 
sects which  prey  largely  upon  other  insects,  especially  honey- 
bees, and  which  have  been  known  to  commit  in  this  way  extensive 
depredations.  It  is  thus  evident  that  the  Kingbird  by  destroying 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  289 

these  flies  actually  does  good  work  for  the  apiarist.  Nineteen 
robber  flies  were  found  in  the  stomachs  examined;  these  may 
be  considered  more  than  an  equivalent  for  the  four  worker  honey- 
bees already  mentioned.  A  few  caterpillars  are  eaten,  mostly 
belonging  to  the  group  commonly  known  as  cutworms,  all  the 
species  of  which  are  harmful.  About  10  per  cent  of  the  food 
consists  of  small  native  fruits,  comprising  some  twenty  common 
species  of  the  roadsides  and  thickets,  such  as  dogwood  berries, 
elderberries,  and  wild  grapes.  The  bird  has  not  been  reported 
as  eating  cultivated  fruit  to  an  injurious  extent;  and  it  is  very 
doubtful  if  this  is  ever  the  case,  for  cherries  and  blackberries  are 
the  only  ones  that  might  have  come  from  cultivated  places,  and 
they  were  found  in  but  few  stomachs. 

"  Three  points  seem  to  be  clearly  established  in  regard  to  the 
food  of  the  Kingbird  —  ( I )  that  about  90  per  cent  consists  of 
insects,  mostly  injurious  species;  (2)  that  the  alleged  habit  of 
preying  upon  honeybees  is  much  less  prevalent  than  has  been 
supposed,  and  probably  does  not  result  in  any  great  damage; 
and  (3)  that  the  vegetable  food  consists  almost  entirely  of  wild 
fruits,  which  have  no  economic  value.  These  facts  taken  in  con- 
nection with  its  well-known  enmity  for  hawks  and  crows,  entitle 
the  Kingbird  to  a  place  among  the  most  desirable  birds  of  the 
orchard  or  garden."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in  Relation 
to  Agriculture.") 

The  Phoebe  (Sayornis  phcebe},  according  to  Professor  Beal 
"  subsists  almost  exclusively  upon  insects,  most  of  which  are 
caught  upon  the  wing.  An  examination  of  80  stomachs  showed 
that  over  93  per  cent  of  the  year's  food  consists  of  insects  and 
spiders,  while  wild  fruit  constitutes  the  remainder.  The  insects 
belong  chiefly  to  noxious  species,  and  include  many  click  beetles, 
May  beetles,  and  weevils.  Grasshoppers  in  their  season  are  eaten 
to  a  considerable  extent,  while  wasps  of  various  species,  many 
flies  of  species  that  annoy  cattle,  and  a  few  bugs  and  spiders  are 
also  eaten  regularly.  It  is  evident  that  a  pair  of  phcebes  must 
materially  reduce  the  number  of  insects  near  a  garden  or  field, 
as  the  birds  often,  if  not  always,  raise  two  broods  a  year,  and 
each  brood  numbers  from  four  to  six  young. 

"  The  vegetable  portion  of  the  food  is  unimportant,  and 
consists  mainly  of  a  few  seeds,  with  small  fruits,  such  as  wild 
19 


290  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

cherries,  elderberries,  and  juniper  berries.  The  raspberries  and 
blackberries  found  in  the  stomachs  were  the  only  fruits  that 
might  have  belonged  to  cultivated  varieties,  and  the  quantity  was 
trifling. 

'  There  is  hardly  a  more  useful  species  than  the  Phoebe  about 
the  farm,  and  it  should  receive  every  encouragement.  To  fur- 
nish nesting  boxes  is  unnecessary,  as  it  usually  prefers  a  more 
open  situation,  like  a  shed,  or  a  nook  under  the  eaves,  but  it 
should  be  protected  from  cats  and  other  marauders."  (Beal, 
"Some  Common  Birds  in  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

The  Wood  Pewee  (Myiochanes  virens)  was  found  by  Pro- 
fessor King  to  feed  largely  on  small  beetles  and  dipterous  insects, 
including  large  crane-flies;  and  the  Least  Flycatcher  (Em- 
pidonax  minimus)  to  eat  beetles,  Diptera,  and  Hymenoptera. 
(Chapman,  "  Economic  Value  of  Birds  to  the  State.") 

Of  the  Least  Flycatcher  (Empidonax  minimus)  Professor 
Forbush  says,  "  Like  all  Flycatchers,  this  species  catches  flies, 
among  them  the  common  house  fly,  and  also  some  useful  parasitic 
flies.  It  is  by  no  means  confined  to  such  food,  however,  but  is 
particularly  destructive  to  small  beetles  in  flight,  and  in  this 
respect  it  is  most  useful.  It  captures  many  moths,  particularly 
those  species  that  fly  by  day,  as  the  gypsy  moth ;  but  it  also  picks 
up  many  which  are  stirring  only  very  early  in  the  morning  or 
at  evening.  The  bird  watches  for  caterpillars,  and,  when  it  sees 
one  stir,  flies  from  its  perch  and  snaps  up  the  luckless  creature. 
The  bird,  in  common  with  other  Flycatchers,  picks  up  many  cater- 
pillars that,  to  escape  Warblers  and  other  enemies,  spin  down 
on  their  webs  or  drop  from  the  trees.  The  greatest  service  our 
little  Flycatcher  renders  to  man  consists  of  the  destruction  of 
such  orchard  pests  as  boring  beetles,  bark  beetles,  the  fly  of  the 
railroad  worm,  codling  moths,  gipsy  moths,  cankerworms,  and 
other  caterpillars."  (Forbush,  "Useful  Birds  and  their  Protec- 
tion.") 

LARKS. 
Alaudidce. 

Our  Horned  Lark  (Otocoris  alpestris  alpestris)  feeds  almost 
entirely  on  seeds  of  various  weeds.  One  examined  by  Dr.  Judd 
had  in  the  stomach  "  a  bit  of  a  kernel  of  corn,  4  seeds  of  lamb's- 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  2QI 

quarters,  8  of  crab-grass,  10  of  bastard  pennyroyal,  and  12  of 
ragweed  "     (Judd,  "  Birds  of  a  Maryland  Farm  "). 

CROWS  and  JAYS. 
Corvida. 

Of  the  Blue  Jay  (Cyanocitta  cristata  cristata)  Professor  Beal 
says,  "  Ornithologists  and  field  observers  in  general  declare  that 
a  considerable  portion  of  its  food  in  spring  and  early  summer 
consists  of  the  eggs  and  young  of  small  birds,  and  some  farmers 
accuse  it  of  stealing  corn  to  an  injurious  extent  in  the  fall.  While 
there  may  be  some  truth  in  these  accusations,  they  have  almost 
certainly  been  exaggerated.  No  doubt  many  jays  have  been  ob- 
served robbing  nests  of  other  birds,  but  thousands  have  been  seen 
that  were  not  'so  engaged. 

"  In  an  investigation  of  the  food  of  the  Blue  Jay,  292  stomachs 
were  examined,  which  showed  that  animal  matter  comprised  24 
per  cent  and  vegetable  matter  76  per  cent  of  the  bird's  diet.  So 
much  has  been  said  about  the  nest-robbing  habits  of  the  Jay  that 
special  search  was  made  for  traces  of  birds  or  birds'  eggs  in  the 
stomachs,  with  the  result  that  shells  of  small  birds'  eggs  were 
found  in  three,  and  the  remains  of  young  birds  in  only  two 
stomachs. 

"  Such  negative  evidence  is  not  sufficient  to  controvert  the 
great  mass  of  testimony  upon  this  point,  but  it  shows  that  the  habit 
is  not  so  prevalent  as  has  been  believed.  Besides  birds  and  their 
eggs,  the  Jay  eats  mice,  fish,  salamanders,  snails,  and  crustaceans, 
which  altogether  constitute  but  little  more  than  I  per  cent  of  its 
diet.  The  insect  food  is  made  up  of  beetles,  grasshoppers,  cater- 
pillars, and  a  few  species  of  other  orders,  all  noxious,  except 
some  $l/2  per  cent  of  predaceous  beetles.  Thus  something  more 
than  19  per  cent  of  the  whole  food  consists  of  harmful  insects. 
In  August  the  Jay,  like  many  other  birds,  turns  its  attention  to 
grasshoppers,  which  constitute  nearly  one-fifth  of  its  food  during 
that  month.  At  this  time,  also,  most  of  the  other  noxious  in- 
sects, including  caterpillars,  are  consumed,  though  beetles  are 
eaten  chiefly  in  spring. 

"  The  vegetable  food  is  quite  varied,  but  the  item  of  most 
interest  is  grain.  Corn  was  found  in  70  stomachs,  wheat  in  8, 
and  oats  in  2  —  all  constituting  19  per  cent  of  the  total  food. 


292  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

Corn  is  evidently  the  favorite  grain,  but  a  closer  inspection  of 
the  record  shows  that  the  greater  part  was  eaten  during  the  first 
five  months  of  the  year,  and  that  very  little  was  taken  after  May, 
even  in  harvest  time,  when  it  is  abundant.  This  indicates  that 
most  of  the  corn  is  gleaned  from  the  fields  after  harvest,  except 
what  is  stolen  from  cribs  or  gathered  in  May  at  planting  time. 
''  The  Jay's  favorite  food  is  mast  (i.  e.,  acorns,  chestnuts, 
chinquapins,  etc.),  which  was  found  in  158  of  the  292  stomachs, 
and  amounted  to  more  than  42  per  cent  of  the  whole  food.  In 
September  corn  formed  15  and  mast  35  per  cent;  while  in 
October,  November,  and  December  corn  dropped  to  an  almost 
inappreciable  quantity,  and  mast  amounted  to  64,  82,  and  83  per 
cent,  respectively.  And  yet  in  these  months  corn  is  abundant 
and  everywhere  easily  accessible.  The  other  elements  of  food 
consist  of  a  few  seeds  and  wild  fruits,  among  which  grapes  and 
blackberries  predominate. 

"  The  results  of  the  stomach  examination  show  ( I )  that  the 
Jay  eats  many  noxious  insects ;  (2)  that  its  habit  of  robbing  the 
nests  of  other  birds  is  much  less  common  than  has  been  asserted ; 
and  (3)  that  it  does  little  harm  to  agriculture,  since  all  but  a 
small  amount  of  the  corn  eaten  is  waste  grain."  (Beal,  "  Some 
Common  Birds  in  Their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

In  another  paper  — "  The  Blue  Jay  and  its  Food," —  Professor 
Beal  cites  several  instances  of  the  Jay  destroying  the  eggs  or 
young  of  smaller  birds ;  and  we  agree  with  the  verdict  of  Mr. 
Frank  M.  Chapman :  "  Personally,  my  attitude  toward  the  Jay 
is  that  which  I  hold  in  regard  to  the  Crow.  It  is  not  unusual 
for  the  Jay  to  eat  birds'  eggs,  and  in  so  doing  he  does  an  injury 
which  the  good  deeds  to  his  credit  are  far  from  balancing.  As 
with  the  Crow,  any  one  of  the  insect  or  seed  eating  birds  killed 
by  a  Jay  would  doubtless  have  been  more  desirable  than  the  Jay 
itself ;  and,  where  a  single  Jay,  as  often  happens,  destroys  a  whole 
nestful  of  eggs,  it  becomes  a  positively  injurious  species.  I  be- 
lieve, therefore,  that  the  Blue  Jay  is  no  more  deserving  of  pro- 
tection than  is  the  Crow.  Both  birds,  however,  are  far  too 
interesting  to  be  exterminated,  but  no  steps  should  be  taken 
which  will  result  in  their  increase.  Belonging  to  a  family  noted 
for  the  intelligence  and  adaptability  of  its  members,  Crows  and 
Jays  can  adjust  themselves  to  the  changes  incident  to  civilization 


No.   2O.]  THE  BIRDS  OF   CONNECTICUT.  293 

far  more  readily  than  any  of  the  birds  which  become  their 
victims;  and,  in  cases  of  this  kind,  man  should  help  to  restore 
nature's  balance  by  according  protection  to  the  weaker  species; 
not  to  their  enemies."  (Chapman,  "  Economic  Value  of  Birds 
to  the  State.") 

Regarding  the  Crow  (  Corvus  brachyrhynchos  brachyr hynchos ), 
the  evidence  is  about  the  same  as  with  the  Blue  Jay;  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  good  this  bird  does  in  destroying  grasshoppers, 
cutworms,  etc.,  is  far  outweighed  by  the  evil  in  killing  the  young 
of  insectivorous  birds.  "  There  are  few  birds  so  well  known  as 
the  common  Crow,  and,  unlike  most  other  species,  he  does  not 
seem  to  decrease  in  numbers  as  the  country  becomes  more  densely 
populated. 

"  The  Crow  is  commonly  regarded  as  a  blackleg  and  a  thief. 
Without  the  dash  and  brilliancy  of  the  Jay,  or  the  bold  savagery 
of  the  Hawk,  he  is  accused  of  doing  more  mischief  than  either. 
That  he  does  pull  up  sprouting  corn,  destroy  chickens,  and  rob 
the  nests  of  small  birds,  has  been  repeatedly  proved.  Nor  are 
these  all  of  his  sins.  He  is  known  to  eat  frogs,  toads,  sala- 
manders, and  some  small  snakes  —  all  harmless  creatures  that 
do  some  good  by  eating  insects.  With  so  many  charges  against 
him,  it  may  be  well  to  show  why  he  shoulfl  not  be  utterly  con- 
demned. 

"  The  examination  of  a  large  number  of  stomachs,  while 
confirming  all  the  foregoing  accusations,  has  thrown  upon  the 
subject  a  light  somewhat  different  from  that  derived  solely  from 
field  observations.  It  shows  that  the  bird's-nesting  habit,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  Jay,  is  not  so  universal  as  has  been  supposed ;  and 
that,  so  far  from  being  a  habitual  nest-robber,  the  Crow  only 
occasionally  indulges  in  that  reprehensible  practice.  The  same 
is  true  in  regard  to  destroying  chickens,  for  he  is  able  to  carry 
off  none  but  very  young  ones,  and  his  opportunities  for  capturing 
them  are  somewhat  limited.  Neither  are  many  toads  and  frogs 
eaten ;  and,  as  frogs  are  of  no  great  practical  value,  their  destruc- 
tion is  not  a  serious  matter;  but  toads  are  very  useful,  and  their 
consumption,  so  far  as  it  goes,  must  be  counted  against  the  Crow. 
Turtles,  crayfishes,  and  snails,  of  which  he  eats  quite  a  large  num- 
ber, may  be  considered  neutral,  while  mice  may  be  counted  to  his 
credit. 


294  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  In  his  insect  food,  however,  the  Crow  makes  amends  for  sins 
in  the  rest  of  his  dietary,  although  even  here  the  first  item  is 
against  him.  Predaceous  beetles  are  eaten  in  some  numbers 
throughout  the  season,  but  the  number  is  not  great.  May  beetles, 
dor-bugs,  or  June  bugs,  and  others  of  the  same  family,  constitute 
the  principal  food  during  spring  and  early  summer,  and  are  fed 
to  the  young  in  immense  quantities.  Other  beetles,  nearly  all 
of  a  noxious  character,  are  eaten  to  a  considerable  extent.  Grass- 
hoppers are  first  taken  in  May,  but  not  in  large  numbers  until 
August,  when,  as  might  be  expected,  they  form  the  leading  article 
of  diet,  showing  that  the  Crow  is  no  exception  to  the  general 
rule  that  most  birds  subsist,  to  a  large  extent,  upon  grasshoppers 
in  the  month  of  August.  Many  bugs,  some  caterpillars,  most 
cutworms,  and  some  spiders  are  also  eaten  —  all  of  them  either 
harmful  or  neutral  in  their  economic  relations.  Of  the  insect 
diet  Mr.  E.  A.  Schwarz  says :  '  The  fact,  on  the  whole,  speaks 
overwhelmingly  in  favor  of  the  Crow.' 

"  Probably  the  most  important  item  in  the  vegetable  food  is 
corn,  and  by  pulling  up  the  newly  sprouted  seeds  the  bird  renders 
himself  extremely  obnoxious.  Observation  and  experiments  with 
tame  crows  show  that  hard,  dry  corn  is  never  eaten  if  anything 
else  is  to  be  had,  and,  if  fed  to  nestlings,  it  is  soon  disgorged. 
The  reason  crows  resort  to  newly  planted  fields  is  that  the  kernels 
of  corn  are  softened  by  the  moisture  of  the  earth,  and  probably 
become  more  palatable  in  the  progress  of  germination,  which 
changes  the  starch  of  the  grain  to  sugar.  The  fact,  however, 
remains  that  crows  eat  corn  extensively  only  when  it  has  been 
softened  by  germination  or  partial  decay,  or  before  it  is  ripe  and 
still  '  in  the  milk.'  Experience  has  shown  that  they  may  be  pre- 
vented from  pulling  up  young  corn  by  tarring  the  seeds,  which 
not  only  saves  the  corn,  but  forces  them  to  turn  their  attention 
to  insects.  If  they  persist  in  eating  green  corn,  it  is  not  so  easy 
to  prevent  the  damage;  but  no  details  of  extensive  injury  in  this 
way  have  yet  been  presented,  and  it  is  probable  that  no  great 
harm  has  been  done. 

"  Crows  eat  fruit  to  some  extent,  but  confine  themselves  for 
the  most  part  to  wild  species,  such  as  dogwood,  sour  gum,  and 
seeds  of  the  different  kinds  of  sumac.  They  have  also  a  habit 
of  sampling  almost  everything  which  appears  eatable,  especially 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  295 

when  food  is  scarce.  For  example,  they  eat  frozen  apples  found 
on  the  trees  in  winter,  or  pumpkins,  turnips,  and  potatoes  which 
have  been  overlooked  or  neglected;  even  mushrooms  are  some- 
times taken,  probably  in  default  of  .something  better. 

"  In  estimating  the  economic  status  of  the  Crow,  it  must  be 
acknowledged  that  he  does  some  damage,  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  should  receive  much  credit  for  the  insects  which  he  destroys. 
In  the  more  thickly  settled  parts  of  the  country  the  Crow  prob- 
ably does  more  good  than  harm,  at  least  when  ordinary  precau- 
tions are  taken  to  protect  young  poultry  and  newly  planted  corn 
against  his  depredations.  If,  however,  corn  is  planted  with  no 
provision  against  possible  marauders,  if  hens  and  turkeys  are 
allowed  to  nest  and  to  roam  with  their  broods  at  a  distance  from 
farm  buildings,  losses  must  be  expected."  (Beal,  "  Some  Com- 
mon Birds  in  Their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

"  While,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  birds'  eggs  and  young 
can  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the  annual  food  supply  of  the 
Crow,  I  believe  it  to  be  indisputable  that  during  the  nesting  season 
they  constitute  a  large  percentage  of  the  Crow's  food.  Nest- 
robbing  is  not  occasional,  but  is  the  characteristic  habit  of  the 
Crow.  Not,  only  do  they  eat  eggs  and  young  birds,  but  they 
feed  their  offspring  on  them.  Doubtless  few  Crows  live  through 
May  and  June  without  preying  on  smaller  birds,  and  the  pos- 
sibilities are  that  almost  any  one  of  the  birds  destroyed  (either 
in  the  egg  or  out  of  it)  is  of  greater  economic  value  than  the 
Crow.  The  Crow,  therefore,  in  addition  to  the  direct  damage 
it  may  do  our  crops,  robs  us  of  the  services  of  birds  far  more 
desirable  than  itself.  Even  if  the  Crow,  aside  from  its  cannibal- 
like  propensities,  was  wholly  beneficial,  it  would  not,  it  seems  to 
me,  render  us  as  great  a  service  as  would  have  been  performed 
by  the  birds  it  destroys.  In  short,  in  my  opinion,  the  Crow  is 
one  of  the  worst  enemies  of  our  small  insectivorous  and  seed- 
eating  birds,  and  as  such  it  is  undeserving  of  protection."  (Chap- 
man, "  Economic  Value  of  Birds  to  the  State.") 

STARLINGS. 
Sturnida. 

As  the  Starling  (Sturnus  vulgaris)  is  now  so  firmly  settled 
along  the  coast  as  far  east  as  New  Haven  that  its  distribution 


296  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HlST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

through  the  rest  of  the  state  seems  only  a  matter  of  time,  it  is 
important  for  us  to  know  whether  we  should  welcome  it,  or  are 
receiving  another  undesirable  immigrant.  The  evidence  appears 
on  the  whole  to  be  adverse  to  the  good  character  of  this  bird, 
and  is  thus  given  by  Dr.  T.  S.  Palmer :  "  The  Starling  (Sturnus 
vulgaris)  of  Europe  and  western  Asia  is  one  of  the  best-known 
birds  of  the  Old  World,  and  during  late  years  has  been  increasing 
in  numbers  in  the  British  Isles.  It  is  sometimes  accused  of 
stealing  fruit  and  destroying  nests  and  eggs  of  other  birds,  but 
in  its  native  home  it  seems  to  be  beneficial  rather  than  otherwise. 
Comparatively  little  accurate  information  concerning  its  food 
habits  is  available,  except  the  results  of  an  examination  of  175 
stomachs  recently  made  in  Scotland  by  Mr.  John  Gilmour. 
Aceording  to  this  examination,  the  food  consists  of  75  per  cent 
insects,  20  per  cent  grain  (mainly  waste  grain),  and  5  per  cent 
miscellaneous  substances.  Some  useful  insects  were  eaten,  but 
the  greater  proportion  were  classed  as  injurious.  The  charge 
of  destroying  eggs  of  larks,  and  occasionally  young  nestlings,  was 
not  substantiated ;  as  no  egg  shells  were  found  in  these  stomachs. 
Mr.  Gilmour  calls  attention  to  the  rapid  increase  of  starlings  in 
Fifeshire,  thousands  now  existing  where  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago 
they  were  considered  rare;  and  mentions  the  serious  damage 
sometimes  done  to  shrubs  and  young  plantations  when  occupied 
as  roosting  places,  but  concludes  that  on  the  whole  the  bird  is 
beneficial  and  worthy  of  protection." 

"  Much  has  been  said  concerning  the  advantages  of  intro- 
ducing the  Starling  into  this  country;  but,  in  spite  of  the  many 
arguments  brought  forward,  the  bird's  character  is  not  above 
suspicion,  and  its  usefulness  is  still  open  to  question.  The  fact 
seems  to  have  been  overlooked  that  in  other  countries  the  Starling 
has  signally  failed  to  fulfill  the  expectations  concerning  its  use- 
fulness. Certainly  the  experience  of  Australia  and  New  Zealand 
offers  little  encouragement.  It  was  introduced  in  New  Zealand 
in  1867,  and  as  early  as  1870  was  reported  as  'becoming  very 
numerous.'  It  seems  to  have  increased  very  rapidly;  and,  in 
spite  of  its  natural  preference  for  insects,  in  its  new  home  it  has 
adopted  a  fruit  diet  to  such  an  extent  as  to  become  a  great  pest. 
In  South  Australia  it  was  reported  to  be  common  in  certain 
localities  in  1894,  and  measures  for  its  extermination  were 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  2Q? 

considered.  In  Victoria,  on  the  other  hand,  steps  were  taken  in 
1895  to  promote  its  increase  in  fruit  and  grain  growing  districts, 
and  this  fact  was  used  as  an  argument  in  its  favor  by  persons 
who  were  endeavoring  to  introduce  it  into  some  of  the  other 
colonies.  Western  Australia  has  taken  a  firm  stand  on  the  ques- 
tion, and  Mr.  R.  Helms,  Biologist  of  the  Bureau  of  Agriculture 
of  that  colony,  who  opposed  the  proposed  importation,  gives  his 
reasons  as  follows :  '  Had  I  been  asked  fifteen  or  twenty  years 
ago  what  I  had  to  say,  I  would  probably  have  recommended  their 
introduction.  But  not  so  now.  My  experience  has  taught  me 
better.  The  birds  were  introduced  more  than  fifteen  years  ago 
into  New  Zealand,  and  now,  like  the  thrushes,  they  have  become 
a  pest  to  fruit  growers.  They  have  changed  their  habit,  from 
being  principally  insectivorous  having  become  omnivorous/ 

"  After  due  deliberation,  the  Government  issued  a  proclama- 
tion on  January  22,  1896,  declaring  the  Starling  a  destructive 
bird,  and  absolutely  prohibiting  its  importation  into  Western 
Australia.  Still  more  recently  it  has  been  condemned  in  Tas- 
mania, where  it  is  charged  with  committing .  depredations  on 
small  fruits,  cherries,  and  wheat.  Its  further  distribution  has 
been  discouraged;  and,  when  the  question  of  introducing  several 
species  of  birds  was  under  discussion  at  an  agricultural  conference 
at  Scottsdale  on  December  6,  1897,  the  Starling  was  promptly 
rejected."  (Palmer,  "Danger  of  Introducing  Noxious  Animals 
and  Birds.") 

Since  the  above  was  written  Starlings  have  multiplied  greatly, 
have  spread  to  Rhode  Island,  western  Massachusetts,  New  Jersey, 
and  Pennsylvania,  and  are  frequently  found  in  flocks  of  thousands 
in  fall,  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  salt  marshes,  where 
they  assemble  for  the  night.  Besides  the  actual  damage  which 
they  do  to  grain,  etc.,  they  seize  all  the  hollow  limbs  in  orchards, 
which  the  far  more  useful  native  birds  have  been  accustomed  to 
utilize  for  nesting;  and  more  than  once  pairs  of  Starlings  have 
been  seen  to  attack  and  drive  away  even  such  a  powerful  bird  as 
the  Flicker  from  the  cavity  which  it  had  just  finished  excavating. 
In  our  own  State  Mr.  Wilbur  F.  Smith  has  reported  instances 
of  their  damaging  apples  on  the  trees  and  of  one  having  been 
seen  flying  from  a  tree  with  a  Robin's  egg  in  its  bill.  (Bird-Lore, 
X,  1908,  p.  79.)  Its  enmity  toward  our  other  undesirable  immi- 


298  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

grant  —  the  English  Sparrow  —  is  its  chief  claim  to  our  consid- 
eration. 

BLACKBIRDS,  ORIOLES,  etc. 
Icterida. 

The  Blackbirds,  from  their  habit  of  collecting  in  late  summer 
in  enormous  flocks  and  descending  upon  the  grain  fields,  have 
enjoyed  since  the  first  settlement  of  New  England  a  bad  reputa- 
tion, which  the  experts  in  the  Department  of  Agriculture  inform 
us  is  better  deserved  than  that  of  some  other  ostracized  species. 
Dr.  Merriam  quotes  ("Birds  of  Connecticut/'  p.  46),  a  law 
passed  in  Lynn,  March  8,  1697,  "  That  every  householder  in  the 
town,  should  sometime  before  the  fifteen  day  of  May  next,  kill  or 
cause  to  be  killed,  twelve  blackbirds,  ....  and  if  any 
householder  as  aforesaid  shall  refuse  or  neglect  to  kill  and  bring 
in  the  heads  of  twelve  blackbirds,  as  aforesaid,  every  such  person 
shall  pay  three  pence  for  every  blackbird  that  is  wanting,  as 
aforesaid,  for  the  use  of  the  town."  He  quotes  also  from  Peter 
Kalm's  "  Travels  in  North  America  " :  "  Their  chief  and  most 
agreeable  food  is  maize.  They  come  in  great  swarms  in  spring, 
soon  after  the  maize  is  put  under  ground.  They  scratch  up  the 
grains  of  maize  and  eat  them.  As  soon  as  the  leaf  comes  out, 
they  take  hold  of  it  with  their  bills,  and  pluck  it  up,  together 
with  the  corn  or  grain ;  and  thus  they  give  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
to  the  country  people,  even  so  early  in  spring."  Again  in  fall, 
"  They  assemble  by  thousands  in  the  maize  fields,  and  live  at 
discretion.  They  are  very  bold;  for,  when  they  are  disturbed, 
they  only  go  and  settle  in  another  part  of  the  field.  In  that 
manner,  they  always  go  from  one  end  of  the  field  to  the  other, 
and  do  not  leave  it  till  they  are  quite  satisfied.  They  fly  in  in- 
credible swarms  in  autumn;  and  it  can  hardly  be  conceived 
whence  such  immense  numbers  of  them  should  come.  When 
they  rise  in  the  air  they  darken  the  sky,  and  make  it  look  quite 

black As  they  are  so  destructive  to  maize,  the 

odium  of  the  inhabitants  against  them  is  carried  so  far  that  the 
laws  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  have  settled  a  premium 
of  three  pence  a  dozen  for  dead  maize-thieves.  In  New  England, 
the  people  are  still  greater  enemies  to  them;  for  Dr.  Franklin 
told  me,  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1750,  that,  by  means  of  the 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  299 

premiums  which  have  been  settled  for  killing  them  in  New 
England,  they  have  been  so  extirpated,  that  they  are  very  rarely 
seen,  and  in  a  few  places  only.  But  as,  in  the  summer  of  the 
year  1749,  an  immense  quantity  of  worms  appeared  on  'the 
meadows,  which  devoured  the  grass,  and  did  great  damage,  the 
people  have  abated  their  enmity  against  the  maize-thieves;  for 
they  thought  they  had  observed  that  those  birds  lived  chiefly  on 
these  worms  before  the  maize  is  ripe,  and  consequently  extirpated 
them,  or  at  least  prevented  their  spreading  too  much.  They  seem 
therefore  to  be  entitled,  as  it  were,  to  a  reward  for  their  trouble." 

Regarding  these  birds  Professor  Beal  writes  ("  Birds  that  In- 
jure Grain  ")  :  "  Stomach  investigation  shows  conclusively  that 
birds  do  not  subsist  upon  grain  alone,  even  at  times  when  it  is 
possible  to  obtain  it.  Moreover,  the  greatest  amount  of  grain  is 
not  eaten  at  harvest  time,  but  during  the  winter  months,  when 
other  food  is  scarce  and  waste  kernels  can  be  picked  up  in  the 
fields.  If  any  kind  of  grain  is  preferred  by  a  certain  species,  we 
should  expect  the  bird  to  subsist  upon  that  almost  exclusively 
when  it  can  be  obtained,  that  is,  at  harvest  time.  That  this  is  not 
the  case,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  many  birds  of  the  same  species 
have  been  shot  at  the  same  time  in  a  grain  field,  and,  while  some 
stomachs  were  full  of  grain,  others  were  only  partly  filled,  and 
still  others  were  wholly  filled  with  other  food.  So  many  cases 
of  this  kind  have  occurred  that  it  seems  practically  certain  that 
few  birds  willingly  subsist  exclusively  upon  any  kind  of  grain 
for  a  considerable  length  of  time.  With  many  species  this  is 
in  notable  contrast  to  their  marked  fondness  for  the  seeds  of 
certain  useless  plants,  upon  which  at  some  seasons  they  subsist 
almost  entirely. 

"  If  it  be  admitted  that  birds  do  not  as  a  rule  display  an  in- 
ordinate appetite  for  grain,  the  question  naturally  arises:  What 
is  the  cause  of  the  tremendous  ravages  they  sometimes  commit? 
Both  stomach  examination  and  field  observation  point  to  the 
same  answer:  Too  many  birds  of  the  same  or  closely  allied 
species  are  gathered  together  within  a  limited  area. 

"  An  attempt  to  exterminate  these  species  would  be  not  only 
ill-advised  but  hopeless.  States  have  offered  bounties  for  their 
destruction  without  perceptibly  thinning  their  ranks.  Is  there, 
then,  any  remedy  for  evil?  The  writer  is  forced  to  confess 


3OO  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

that  he  has  none  to  suggest,  except  in  the  case  of  crows  and 
blackbirds  that  pull  up  sprouting  corn.  This  can  be  prevented 
by  thoroughly  tarring  the  seed,  which,  if  properly  done,  neither 
injures  its  vitality  nor  prevents  the  use  of  machinery  in  planting. 
There  is,  however,  some  hope  for  the  future,  though  perhaps  a 
distant  one.  While  the  advance  of  civilization  has  thus  far  not 
affected  these  birds  or  their  haunts,  the  time  must  surely  come 
when  it  will.  Increased  density  of  population  will  broaden  the 
area  of  cultivation,  and  this  in  time  must  lead  to  the  draining  of 
the  smaller  marshes  and  ponds,  thus  turning  over  to  agriculture 
much  land  that  has  heretofore  been  worse  than  waste,  since  it 
has  served  as  a  breeding  ground  for  the  birds  that  have  destroyed 
the  crops.  With  the  breeding  places  more  restricted,  and  an 
environment  otherwise  changed  by  increased  population,  the 
number  of  birds  must  surely  decrease,  and  in  time  the  proper 
equilibrium  will  be  restored.  In  the  meantime,  it  behooves  the 
farmer  to  apply  such  remedies  as  the  exigencies  of  the  case  sug- 
gest; and,  where  these  gregarious  species  are  overabundant,  it 
might  be  well  to  exempt  them  from  the  general  protective  laws, 
in  order  that  each  landholder  may  be  free  to  protect  himself  as 
best  he  can." 

The  Bobolink  (Dolichonyx  oryzivorus}  must  be  studied  from 
two  standpoints  to  obtain  a  just  view  of  its  economic  position. 
With  us  in  the  North  it  is  not  only  the  most  joyous  ornament  of 
our  fields,  but  of  definite  value  to  agriculture.  During  the  time 
it  is  with  us  Professor  Beal  has  determined,  from  the  examina- 
tion of  231  stomachs,  that  57.1  per  cent  of  its  food -consists  of 
animal  material,  and  42.9  per  cent  vegetable.  "  Of  the  insect 
food,  as  determined  by  the  examination,  beetles  constitute  nearly 
19  per  cent.  Predaceous  species  (Carabidse),  which  are,  broadly 
considered,  useful  insects,  are  represented  only  by  a  trace ;  snout- 
beetles,  or  weevils  (Rhynchophora),  amount  to  8.9  per  cent,  and 
in  May  to  20.8  per  cent;  and  the  other  beetles,  of  various 
families,  and  all  of  a  more  or  less  harmful  character,  make  up 
the  rest  of  the  coleopterous  food.  Hymenoptera,  represented  by 
ants  and  some  wasps,  and  by  many  parasitic  species,  form 
7.6  per  cent  of  the  food,  and  were  found  mostly  in  May  and 
July  stomachs.  The  Bobolink  eats  more  of  these  parasitic 
Hymenoptera  than  any  other  bird  whose  food  habits  have  thus 


No.    2O.]  .     THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  3OI 

far  been  investigated,  although  it  should  be  stated  that  examina- 
tions of  flycatchers  and  other  birds  now  in  course  of  completion 
indicate  that  it  will  soon  lose  its  position  at  the  head  of  the  list. 
Caterpillars  are  apparently  a  favorite  food.  They  form  17.6 
per  cent  of  the  May  food,  and  rise  to  28.1  per  cent  in  June,  after 
which  they  gradually  decrease,  averaging  in  the  five  months  13 
per  cent.  Those  eaten  are  mostly  of  the  species  known  as  cut- 
worms, and  include  the  well-known  Nephelodes  violans.  Grass- 
hoppers constitute  11.5  per  cent  of  the  food,  and  are  eaten  prin- 
cipally in  June  and  July,  when  they  amount  to  23.2  and  25.8  per 
cent  respectively.  This  is  unusual.  There  seems  to  be  a  pretty 
general  law  that  all  birds,  no  matter  what  their  food  habits  may 
be  during  the  rest  of  the  year,  eat  grasshoppers  in  August,  just 
as  the  human  race  eats  certain  delicacies  in  their  respective  season. 
But  in  August,  when  with  most  birds  the  grasshopper  season 
is  at  its  height,  the  Bobolinks  begin  to  drop  their  animal  diet  and 
eat  vegetable  food  in  preparation  for  the  rice  season  in  the  South. 
Besides  the  insects  already  mentioned,  a  few  bugs  and  flies  are 
eaten,  and  also  some  spiders  and  myriapods."  (Beal,  "Food  of 
Bobolinks,  Blackbirds,  and  Crackles.") 

Of  the  vegetable  matter  weed-seeds  and  rice  constitute  the 
largest  portion. 

In  the  South  the  picture  is  different.  "  In  the  last  half  of 
April  it  enters  the  United  States  just  as  the  rice  is  sprouting  in 
southern  rice  fields,  and  at  once  begins  to  pull  up  and  feed  upon 
the  sprouted  kernels."  "  It  is  estimated  that  the  Bobolinks,  with 
a  little  help  from  the  Redwings,  cause  an  annual  loss  of 
$2,000,000  to  the  rice  growers  of  the  South."  "  Capt.  William 
Miles  Hazzard  of  Hannandale,  S.  C.,  says :  '  During  the  nights 
of  August  2 ist,  22d,  23d,  and  24th,  millions  of  these  birds  make 
their  appearance  and  settle  in  the  rice  fields.  From  August  2ist 
to  September  25th  our  every  effort  is  to  save  the  crop.  Men, 
boys,  and  women  are  posted  with  guns  and  ammunition  to  every 
four  or  five  acres,  and  shoot  daily  an  average  of  about  one- 
quarter  of  a  Ib.  of  gunpowder  to  the  gun.  This  firing  com- 
mences at  first  dawn  of  day,  and  is  kept  up  until  sunset.  After 
all  this  expense  and  trouble  our  loss  of  rice  per  acre  seldom  falls 
under  five  bushels ;  and,  if  from  any  cause  there  is  a  check  to  the 
crop  during  its  growth  which  prevents  the  grain  from  being  hard 


302  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

but  in  a  milky  condition,  the  destruction  of  the  rice  is  complete 
-not  paying  to  cut  and  bring  out  of  the  field.  We  have  tried 
every  plan  to  keep  these  pests  off  our  crop  at  less  expense  and 
manual  labor  than  we  now  incur,  and  have  been  unsuccessful. 
Our  present  mode  is  expensive,  imperfect,  and  thoroughly  un- 
satisfactory, yet  it  is  the  best  we  can  do.'  Mr.  R.  Joseph 
Lowndes,  of  Annandale,  S.  C.,  in  writing  of  the  Bobolink  and 
Redwing  says  :  '  I  think  I  am  in  bounds  when  I  say  that  one-fourth, 
if  not  one-third  of  the  [rice]  crop  of  this  river  [the  Santee] 
is  destroyed  by  birds  from  the  time  the  seed  is  put  into  the  land 
till  the  crops  are  threshed  out  and  put  in  the  barns.  I  shoot  out 
about  100  kegs  of  powder  every  September,  with  a  fair  quantity 
of  shot,  say  30  to  50  bags,  and  have  killed  as  high  as  150  dozen 
a  day.  In  the  bird  season  it  takes  every  man  and  boy  on  the 
plantation  to  mind  these  birds.  This  work  has  to  go  on  from 
daylight  till  dark  in  any  and  all  weathers,  and  at  great  expense, 
for  six  weeks  in  the  fall  before  the  rice  is  ripe  enough  for  the 
sickle,  and  then  on  till  we  can  get  it  out  of  the  fields.  These 
birds,  if  not  carefully  minded,  will  utterly  destroy  a  crop  of  rice 
in  two  or  three  days/  Mr.  A.  X.  Lucas,  of  McClellanville, 
S.  C,  says :  '  The  annual  depredations  of  the  birds  are  in  my 
opinion  equal  in  this  section  to  the  value  of  the  rent  of  the  land 
—  to  say  nothing  of  the  expense  of  minding  the  birds/  "  Pro- 
fessor Beal  concludes,  "  In  the  North  it  does  much  good  and 
practically  no  harm;  in  the  South  it  becomes  a  veritable  pest. 
To  a  person  born  and  reared  in  New  England  and  taught  to  re- 
gard this  bird  somewhat  as  the  Hollanders  regard  the  stork,  it 
is  an  unwelcome  duty  to  pronounce  upon  it  a  verdict  of  con- 
demnation ;  but  the  facts  force  the  belief  that  until  some  practical 
method  shall  be  devised  to  prevent  its  ravages  upon  the  rice  crop 
there  can  be  no  other  conclusion  than  that  the  good  done  by  the 
Bobolink  does  not  in  any  appreciable  measure  counterbalance 
the  harm." 

Were  the  feeding  habits  alone  of  the  Cowbird  (Molothrus 
ater  ater)  to  be  considered  in  determining  its  value,  it  would 
deserve  protection,  as  Professor  Beal  finds  that  "  ( i )  Twenty  per 
cent  of  the  Cowbirds'  food  consists  of  insects,  which  are  either 
harmful  or  annoying.  (2)  Sixteen  per  cent  is  grain,  the  con- 
sumption of  which  may  be  considered  a  loss,  though  it  is  prac- 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  303 

tically  certain  that  half  of  this  is  waste.  (3)  More  than  50  per 
cent  consists  of  the  seeds  of  noxious  weeds,  whose  destruction 
is  a  positive  benefit  to  the  farmer.  (4)  Fruit  is  practically  not 
eaten."  But,  when  you  remember  that  for  every  Cowbird  that 
grows  to  maturity  we  lose  probably  all,  or  at  least  a  part,  of  a 
family  of  some  of  our  small  birds  —  usually  the  Red-eyed  Vireo, 
Yellow  Warbler,  or  Oven-bird, —  the  balance  changes.  It  may  be 
impossible  at  present  to  prove  that  the  birds  we  thus  lose  are  of 
more  value,  but  all  the  evidence  points  that  way,  and  we  believe 
the  Cowbird  should  be  killed  with  as  little  compunction  as  the 
English  Sparrow,  and  its  eggs  destroyed  at  every  opportunity. 

Although  the  Red-winged  Blackbird  (Agelaius  phosniceus 
phceniceus)  feeds  largely  on  grain  during  the  months  of  harvest, 
its  service  in  devouring  weed  seeds  and  harmful  insects  the  rest 
of  the  year  is  so  great  as  to  turn  the  balance  well  in  its  favor. 
"  The  food  of  the  year  was  found  to  consist  of  73.4  per  cent  of 
vegetable  matter  and  26.6  per  cent  of  animal.  The  animal  food 
begins  with  1.4  per  cent  in  January,  and  gradually  increases  to 
88.2  per  cent  in  June,  after  which  it  regularly  decreases  to  a 
fraction  of  I  per  cent  in  November.  With  the  exception  of  a 
few  snails  and  crustaceans,  it  consists  entirely  of  insects  and 
their  allies  (spiders  and  myriapods),  so  that,  roughly  speaking, 
insects  constitute  one-fourth  of  the  year's  food.  They  consist 
principally  of  beetles,  grasshoppers,  and  caterpillars,  with  a  few 
wasps,  ants,  flies,  bugs,  and  dragon-flies. 

"  The  beetles  (Coleoptera)  amount  to  a  little  more  than  10 
per  cent  of  the  food,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  are  harmful 
insects.  They  belong  to  several  families,  but  only  one  group  is 
eaten  extensively  enough  to  be  greatly  distinguished  above  the 
others.  This  is  the  suborder  of  snout-beetles,  or  weevils 
(Rhynchophora).  These  constitute  4.1  per  cent  of  the  year's 
food,  but  in  June  amount  to  22.4  per  cent  of  the  food  of  the 
month.  All  the  beetles  of  this  group  are  injurious,  some  of  them 
greatly  so." 

"  Grasshoppers  (Orthoptera)  are  eaten  practically  in  every 
month  of  the  year,  though  none  were  found  in  the  n  stomachs 
taken  in  January.  They  constitute  4.7  per  cent  of  the  whole 
food,  and  are  exceeded  by  no  other  insects  except  beetles  and 
caterpillars.  The  greatest  number  (amounting  to  17  per  cent) 


304  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

are  eaten  in  August,  the  '  grasshopper  month/  As  all  species  of 
grasshoppers  are  injurious,  their  destruction  must  be  counted  to 
the  credit  of  the  bird." 

"  The  vegetable  food  of  the  Redwings  consists  mainly  of 
seeds  of  grasses  and  weeds,  the  different  kinds  of  grain  being 
merely  larger  or  more  important  grasses.  Some  of  these  plants, 
like  wild  rice  (Zizania),  have  no  economic  importance;  but  many 
others,  such  as  the  cultivated  grains,  are  of  value,  and  their 
destruction  is  a  positive  loss;  while  still  others,  like  ragweed 
(Ambrosia),  are  noxious  weeds,  the  destruction  of  which  is  a 
benefit  to  the  farmer."  Oats  were  found  to  constitute  6.3  per 
cent  of  the  year's  food ;  wheat  2.2  per  cent ;  and  corn,  4.6  per  cent ; 
oats  are  eaten  chiefly  in  July  and  August ;  wheat,  in  July ;  and 
corn,  in  March,  August,  and  September.  Much  of  this  grain  is 
taken  from  the  standing  crop  and  must  be  counted  against  the 
bird.  "  Of  the  1,083  stomachs  examined,  only  19  were  filled  with 
grain  alone,  while  217  were  entirely  filled  with  the  seeds  of  weeds 
or  useful  plants." 

"  Weed  seed  is  apparently  the  favorite  food  of  the  Redwings, 
since  the  total  amount  of  grass  and  weeds  is  54.6  per  cent — more 
than  half  of  the  year's  food,  and  more  than  four  times  the  total 
grain  consumption.  These  seeds  are  the  principal  article  of  diet 
of  the  birds  in  the  Northern  States  in  the  early  spring  and  late  fall, 
and  the  stomachs  received  from  the  South  during  the  winter  are 
filled  with  them  almost  exclusively.  They  amount  to  more  than 
3  per  cent  in  June,  the  month  of  minimum  consumption,  and 
constitute  a  very  appreciable  percentage  even  during  the  months 
when  grain  is  most  abundant.  The  great  bulk  consists  of  the 
four  well-known  genera  of  noxious  weeds,  Ch&tochloa  (barn 
grass  or  foxtail),  Ambrosia  (ragweed),  Panicum  (panic-grass), 
and  Polygonum  (smartweed  and  knotweed).  The  others  were 
found  in  from  I  to  64  stomachs  each;  and,  while  not  all  are  as 
much  of  a  nuisance  to  clean  cultivation  as  the  four  named,  none 
have  any  useful  function  in  agriculture.  Fruit  forms  so  insig- 
nificant a  proportion  of  the  Redwing's  food  that  it  is  hardly  worth 
considering.  Blackberries  or  raspberries  were  identified  by  their 
seed  in  7  stomachs,  but  only  a  few  were  found  in  each,  and  the 
percentage  is  trifling.  The  other  species  taken  also  appear  in 
few  stomachs  and  in  small  quantities." 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  305 

"  In  summing  up  the  economic  status  of  the  Redwing,  the 
principal  point  to  attract  attention  is  the  small  percentage  of 
grain  in  the  year's  food  —  seemingly  so  much  at  variance  with 
the  complaints  of  the  bird's  destructive  habits.  Judged  by  the 
contents  of  its  stomach  alone,  the  Redwing  is  most  decidedly  a 
useful  bird.  The  service  rendered  by  the  destruction  of  noxious 
insects  and  weed  seeds  far  outweighs  the  damage  due  to  its  con- 
sumption of  grain.  The  destruction  that  it  sometimes  causes 
must  be  attributed  entirely  to  its  too  great  abundance  in  some 
localities."  (Beal,  "  Food  of  Bobolinks,  Blackbirds,  and 
Crackles.") 

The  Rusty  Blackbird  (Euphagus  carolinus)  only  appears 
with  us  in  any  numbers  in  the  fall  after  the  grain  is  harvested, 
and  its  economic  importance  is  not  great.  "  The  stomachs  con- 
tained a  larger  proportion  of  animal  matter  (53  per  cent)  than 
those  of  any  other  species  of  American  Blackbirds  except  the 
Bobolink.  This  is  the  more  remarkable  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
none  were  taken  in  the  two  breeding  months  of  June  and  July, 
when  in  all  probability  the  food  consists  almost  exclusively  of 
animal  matter.  While  the  birds  are  decidedly  terrestrial  in  their 
feeding  habits,  they  do  not  eat  many  predaceous  ground-beetles 
(Carabidse),  the  total  consumption  of  these  insects  amounting  to 
only  1.7  per  cent  of  the  whole  food.  Scarabseids,  the  May-beetle 
family,  form  2  per  cent,  and  in  April  11.7  per  cent.  Various 
other  families  of  beetles  aggregate  10.1  per  cent,  largely  aquatic 
beetles  and  their  larvae,  which,  so  far  as  known,  do  not  have  any 
great  economic  importance.  A  few  of  the  destructive  snout- 
beetles  (Rhynchophora)  are  also  included,  as  well  as  some 
chrysomelids  and  others. 

"  Caterpillars  constitute  2.5  per  cent,  and  do  not  form  any 
very  striking  percentage  at  any  time,  except,  perhaps,  in  May, 
when  they  amount  to  11.7  per  cent.  Grasshoppers  nearly  equal 
beetles  in  the  extent  to  which  they  are  eaten,  and  exceed  every 
other  order  of  insects,  although  none  appeared  in  the  stomachs 
taken  in  January,  March,  May,  and  December,  and  in  February 
but  a  trace.  In  August,  as  usual,  they  reach  the  maximum,  44.3 
per  cent,  only  a  trifle  higher,  however,  than  the  October  record. 
The  average  for  the  year  is  12  per  cent/' 

20 


306  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  The  vegetable  food  consists  of  grain,  weed  seed,  and  various 
miscellaneous  substances,  none  of  which  amounts  to  any  great 
percentage.  The  latter  consists  chiefly  of  a  very  small  amount 
of  fruit,  a  little  mast,  and  a  number  of  unidentifiable  substances, 
probably  picked  up  about  water  or  in  swamps.  Of  grain,  corn 
is  the  favorite  and  amounts  to  17.6  per  cent  of  the  year's  food." 
"  The  vegetable  food  is  of  little  consequence,  as  the  birds  show 
no  decided  predilection  for  any  particular  kind,  but  eat  whatever 
is  at  hand  when  animal  food  cannot  be  obtained.  Grain  is  not 
eaten  to  any  great  extent  at  harvest  time,  and  the  other  items 
do  not  seem  to  have  any  special  relation  to  the  season  in  which 
they  are  eaten."  (Beal,  "  Food  of  Bobolinks,  Blackbirds,  and 
Crackles.") 

The  Crow  Blackbirds  or  Purple  and  Bronzed  Grackles 
(Quiscalus  quiscula  quiscula  and  ceneus}  by  their  feeding  habits 
present  themselves  here.  "  The  food  of  the  whole  year,  taking 
into  account  all  the  2,346  stomachs,  young  and  adult,  comprised 
30.3  per  cent  animal,  and  69.7  per  cent  vegetable  matter.  The 
animal  food  was  found  to  be  composed  of  insects,  spiders, 
myriapods,  crayfish,  earthworms,  sowbugs,  hair-snakes,  snails, 
fish,  tree-toads,  salamanders  (newts),  lizards,  snakes,  birds'  eggs, 
and  mice. 

"  Insect  food  constitutes  27  per  cent  of  the  entire  food  for 
the  year,  and  is  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  birds'  diet  from 
an  economic  point  of  view." 

"  Analysis  of  the  insect  food  presents  many  points  of  interest. 
Among  the  most  important  families  of  beetles  are  the  scarabseids, 
of  which  the  common  June-bug  or  May-beetle  and  the  rose-bugs 
are  familiar  examples.  These  insects  are  eaten,  either  as  beetles 
or  grubs,  in  every  month  except  January  and  November;  in  May 
they  constitute  more  than  one-fifth,  and  in  June  one-seventh  of 
the  entire  food.  The  habit  Grackles  have  of  following  the  plow 
to  gather  grubs  is  a  matter  of  common  observation,  which  has 
been  fully  confirmed  by  stomach  examinations.  Many  stomachs 
were  found  literally  crammed  with  grubs,  and  in  many  more, 
where  other  foods  predominated,  the  hard  jaws  showed  that 
grubs  had  formed  a  goodly  portion  of  a  previous  meal." 

"  Next  in  importance  to  beetles  as  an  article  of  blackbird  diet 
are  the  grasshoppers.  For  convenience,  grasshoppers,  locusts 


No.    2O.],  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  3O/ 

(green  grasshoppers),  and  crickets  are  considered  in  the  same 
category,  but  of  the  three  the  true  grasshoppers  were  by  far  the 
most  numerous  in  the  stomachs,  and  are  eaten  in  every  month 
except  January.  They  constitute  less  than  I  per  cent  of  the  total 
February  food,  and  the  fact  that  they  are  found  at  all  in  this 
month  indicates  that  the  birds  are  keen  hunters,  for  it  would 
puzzle  an  entomologist  to  find  grasshoppers  in  February  in  most 
of  the  northern  states.  It  is  probable  that  some  of  those  eaten 
in  this  and  the  succeeding  month  are  dead  insects  left  over  from 
the  previous  year." 

"  After  August  the  grasshopper  diet  falls  off,  but  even  in 
November  it  still  constitutes  9  per  cent  of  the  total  for  the  month. 
The  frequency  with  which  these  insects  appear  in  the  stomachs, 
the  great  numbers  found  in  single  stomachs  (often  more  than 
30) ,  and  the  fact  that  they  are  fed  largely  to  the  young,  all  point 
to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  preferred  as  an  article  of  food, 
and  are  eagerly  sought  at  all  times.  The  good  that  is  done  by 
their  destruction  can  hardly  be  overestimated,  particularly  as 
many  of  the  grasshoppers  found  in  the  stomachs  were  females 
filled  with  eggs." 

"  It  cannot  be  doubted  from  the  statements  which  have  been 
made,  that  these  birds  do  occasionally  destroy  the  eggs  of  the 
robin,  bluebird,  chipping  sparrow,  small  flycatchers,  and  other 
species,  and  more  rarely  the  young  of  the  robin.  But  stomach 
examination  offers  little  corroborative  evidence.  Of  2,346 
stomachs,  only  37  contained  any  trace  of  birds'  eggs,  and  I  con- 
tained the  bones  of  a  young  bird."  (Beal,  "  Food  of  Bobolinks, 
Blackbirds,  and  Crackles.") 

"  Moreover,  the  examination  of  more  than  2,000  of  their 
stomachs  shows  that  grain  forms  45  per  cent  of  the  food  of  the 
year,  and  that  corn  alone  constitutes  35  per  cent.  From  this  it 
might  be  expected  that  they  would  attract  much  attention  from 
grain  growers,  and  such  is  the  case.  Hundreds  of  communica- 
tions have  been  received  testifying  to  their  destructiveness ;  yet 
many  of  these  acknowledge  the  fact  that  blackbirds  eat  a  large 
quantity  of  insects,  especially  during  the  breeding  season,  and 
that  many  insects  are  fed  to  the  young.  This  last  is  also  borne 
out  by  stomach  examination.  A  review  of  the  yearly  diet  shows 
that  the  greater  part  of  the  corn  eaten  is  taken  during  the  fall 


308  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

and  winter  months.  That  eaten  in  winter  and  early  spring 
(March  and  April),  except  the  small  quantity  taken  from  corn 
cribs,  must  be  waste  grain,  or  picked  up  in  places  where  grain 
is  left  in  the  shock  for  a  long  time.  No  one  will  begrudge  the 
birds  the  corn  gathered  from  the  hog  lot  or  about  the  cattle  crib ; 
but,  when  they  attack  the  ripening  grain  in  September,  it  is  a 
different  story,  and  in  cases  where  the  birds  are  so  abundant  that 
they  take  a  large  part  of  the  crop,  it  will  be  difficult  to  persuade 
the  unfortunate  farmer  that  they  did  enough  good  earlier  in  the 
season  to  pay  for  his  loss.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  in  many 
parts  of  the  country  these  birds  are  too  numerous  for  the  farmer 
to  realize  the  best  results  from  their  services."  (Beal,  "  Birds 
that  Injure  Grain.") 

The  Meadowlark  (Sturnella  magna  magna). — "  In  the  238 
stomachs  examined,"  Professor  Beal  says,  "  animal  food  (prac- 
tically all  insects)  constituted  73  per  cent  of  the  contents,  and 
vegetable  matter  27  per  cent.  As  would  naturally  be  supposed, 
the  insects  were  ground  species,  such  as  beetles,  bugs,  grass- 
hoppers, and  caterpillars,  with  a  few  flies,  wasps,  and  spiders. 
A  number  of  the  stomachs  were  taken  from  birds  that  had 
been  killed  when  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow,  but  still 
they  contained  a  large  percentage  of  insects,  showing  the  bird's 
skill  in  finding  proper  food  under  adverse  circumstances. 

"  Of  the  various  insects  eaten,  crickets  and  grasshoppers  are 
the  most  important,  constituting  29  per  cent  of  the  entire  year's 
food  and  69  per  cent  of  the  food  in  August.  It  is  scarcely  neces- 
sary to  enlarge  upon  this  point,  but  it  can  readily  be  seen,  what 
an  effect  a  number  of  these  birds  must  have  on  a  field  of  grass 
in  the  height  of  the  grasshopper  season. 

"  Of  the  238  stomachs  collected  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
178,  or  more  than  two-thirds,  contained  remains  of  grasshoppers, 
and  one  was  filled  with  fragments  of  37  of  these  insects.  This 
seems  to  show  conclusively  that  grasshoppers  are  preferred  and 
are  eaten  whenever  they  can  be  procured.  The  great  number 
taken  in  August  is  especially  noticeable.  This  is  essentially  the 
grasshopper  month,  i.  e.,  the  month  when  grasshoppers  reach 
their  maximum  abundance ;  and  the  stomach  examination  has 
shown  that  a  large  number  of  birds  resort  to  this  diet  in  August, 
no  matter  what  may  be  the  food  during  the  rest  of  the  year. 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  309 

"  Next  to  grasshoppers,  beetles  make  up  the  most  important 
item  of  the  Meadowlark's  food,  amounting  to  nearly  21  per  cent, 
of  which  about  one-third  are  predaceous  ground  beetles.  The 
others  are  all  harmful  species,  and,  when  it  is  considered  that  the 
bird  feeds  exclusively  on  the  ground,  it  seems  remarkable  that  so 
few  useful  ground  beetles  are  eaten.  Many  of  them  have  a  dis- 
gusting odor,  and  possibly  this  may  occasionally  save  them  from 
destruction  by  birds,  especially  when  other  food  is  abundant. 
Caterpillars,  too,  form  a  very  constant  element,  and  in  May  con- 
stitute over  28  per  cent  of  the  whole  food.  May  is  the  month 
when  the  dreaded  cutworm  begins  its  deadly  career,  and  then  the 
bird  does  some  of  its  best  work.  Most  of  these  caterpillars  are 
ground  feeders,  and  are  overlooked  by  birds  which  habitually  fre- 
quent trees;  but  the  Meadowlark  finds  them  and  devours  them 
by  thousands.  The  remainder  of  the  insect  food  is  made  up  of 
a  few  ants,  wasps, .and  spiders,  with  a  few  bugs,  including  some 
chinch  bugs. 

"  The  vegetable  food  consists  of  grain,  weed,  and  other  hard 
seeds.  Grain  in  general  amounts  to  14,  and  weed  and  other 
seeds  to  12  per  cent.  The  grain,  principally  corn,  is  mostly  eaten 
in  winter  and  early  spring,  and  must  be  therefore  simply  waste 
kernels;  only  a  trifle  is  consumed  in  summer  and  autumn,  when 
it  is  most  plentiful.  No  trace  of  sprouting  grain  was  discovered. 
Clover  seed  was  found  in  only  six  stomachs,  and  but  little  in 
each.  Seeds  of  weeds,  principally  ragweed,  barn  grass,  and 
smartweed,  are  eaten  from  November  to  April,  inclusive,  but 
during  the  rest  of  the  year  are  replaced  by  insects. 

"  Briefly  stated,  more  than  half  of  the  Meadowlark's  food 
consists  of  harmful  insects ;  its  vegetable  food  is  composed  either 
of  noxious  weeds  or  waste  grain,  and  the  remainder  is  made  up 
of  useful  beetles  or  neutral  insects  and  spiders.  A  strong  point 
in  the  bird's  favor  is  that,  although  naturally  an  insect  eater,  it 
is  able  to  subsist  on  vegetable  food,  and  consequently  is  not 
forced  to  migrate  in  cold  weather  any  farther  than  is  necessary 
to  find  ground  free  from  snow.  This  explains  why  it  remains 
for  the  most  part  in  the  United  States  during  winter,  and  moves 
northward  as  soon  as  the  snow  disappears  from  its  usual  haunts. 

"  There  is  one  danger  to  which  the  Meadowlark  is  exposed. 
As  its  flesh  is  highly  esteemed,  the  bird  is  often  shot  for  the 


310  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.   AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

table;  but  it  is  entitled  to  all  possible  protection,  and  to  slaughter 
it  for  game  is  the  least  profitable  way  to  utilize  a  valuable  species." 
(Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in  their  Relation  "to  Agriculture.") 

The  Baltimore  Oriole  (Icterus  galbula)  annoys  the  fruit- 
grower in  August  by  sometimes  puncturing  grapes,  and  is  also 
accused  of  occasional  forays  on  the  cherry  trees,  or  the  pea 
garden.  But  its  services  to  the  farmer  and  horticulturist  far 
more  than  pay  the  toll  it  takes.  . 

"  Observation  both  in  the  field  and  laboratory  shows  that 
caterpillars  constitute  the  largest  item  of  its  fare.  In  113 
stomachs  they  formed  34  per  cent  of  the  food,  and  are  eaten  in 
varying  quantities  during  all  the  months  in  which  the  bird  re- 
mains in  this  country,  although  the  fewest  are  eaten  in  July,  when 
a  little  fruit  is  also  taken.  The  other  insects  consist  of  beetles, 
bugs,  ants,  wasps,  grasshoppers,  and  some  spiders.  The  beetles 
are  principally  click  beetles,  the  larvae  of  which  are  among  the 
most  destructive  insects  known;  and  the  bugs  include  plant  and 
bark  lice,  both  very  harmful,  but  so  small  and  obscure  as  to  be 
passed  over  unnoticed  by  most  birds.  Ants  are  eaten  mostly  in 
spring,  grasshoppers  in  July  and  August,  and  wasps  and  spiders 
with  considerable  regularity  throughout  the  season. 

"  Vegetable  matter  amounts  to  only  a  little  more  than  16  per 
cent  of  the  food  during  the  bird's  stay  in  the  United  States,  so 
that  the  possibility  of  the  Oriole  doing  much  damage  to  crops 
is  very  limited.  The  bird  has  been  accused  of  eating  peas  to  a 
considerable  extent,  but  remains  of  peas  were  found  in  only  two 
stomachs.  One  writer  says  that  it  damages  grapes,  but  none 
were  found.  In  fact  a  few  blackberries  and  cherries  comprised 
the  only  cultivated  fruit  detected  in  the  stomachs,  the  remainder 
of  the  vegetable  food  being  wild  fruit  and  a  few  miscellaneous 
seeds."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Agri- 
culture.") 

The  Orchard  Oriole  (Icterus  spurius)  is  common  only  along 
our  southern  border,  but  is  a  valuable  bird.  "  The  food  of  the 
Orchard  Oriole  is  almost  exclusively  insects.  Of  these  it  con- 
sumes a  large  number,  and  with  them  it  also  feeds  its  young.  Most 
of  these  are  of  the  kinds  most  obnoxious  to  the  husbandman, 
preying  upon  the  foliage,  destroying  the  fruit,  and  otherwise  in- 
juring the  tree;  and  their  destroyers  render  an  incalculable 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  311 

amount  of  benefit  to  the  gardens  they  favor  with  their  presence. 
At  the  same  time  they  are  entirely  innocent  of  injury  to  crops  of 
any  description,  and  I  cannot  find  that  any  accusations  or  ex- 
pressions of  suspicion  have  been  raised  against  them.  They  seem 
to  be,  therefore,  general  favorites,  and,  whenever  protected, 
evince  their  appreciation  of  this  good  will  by  their  familiarity  and 
numbers."  (Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  "  North  American 
Birds.") 

FINCHES,  SPARROWS,  GROSBEAKS,  etc. 
Fringillidai 

With  this  family  we  meet  the  small  birds  that  throng  our 
woods,  fields,  gardens,  and  hedges,  and  without  whose  presence 
it  has  been  calculated  agriculture  could  not  continue,  as  cultivated 
crops  would  be  either  destroyed  by  insects  or  choked  by  a  waste 
of  weeds.  "  In  nearly  every  case  where  the  food  habits  of  our 
birds  have  been  carefully  studied,  do  we  find  that  the  good  done 
far  exceeds  the  possible  harm  that  might  be  inflicted  by  our  birds. 
Allowing  twenty-five  insects  per  day  as  an  average  diet  for  each 
individual  bird,  and  estimating  that  we  have  about  one  and  one- 
half  birds  to  the  acre,  or  in  round  numbers  75,000,000  birds  in 
Nebraska,  there  would  be  required  1,875, 000,000  insects  f°r  eacn 
day's  rations.  Again,  estimating  the  number  of  insects  required 
to  fill  a  bushel  at  120,000,  it  would  take  15,625  bushels  of  insects 
to  feed  our  birds  for  a  single  day,  or  937,500  bushels  for  60  days, 
or  2,343,750  bushels  for  150  days."  (Bruner,  Special  Bulletin, 
University  of  Nebraska,  No.  3.) 

The  Sparrows  help  chiefly  in  keeping  down  the  weeds,  as 
the  largest  part  of  their  food  during  most  of  the  year  consists 
of  the  seeds  of  these  pests  to  the  cultivator.  "  Sparrows  are 
well  known  and  have  figured  frequently  in  ornithological  litera- 
ture, but  the  position  they  occupy  in  relation  to  agriculture  has 
heretofore  received  only  casual  consideration.  It  is  evident  that 
a  group  of  birds  so  abundant,  so  widely  distributed,  and  in  such 
constant  association  with  farms  and  gardens  must  play  an  im- 
portant part  in  rural  economy,  and  that  a  thorough  investigation 
of  their  food  habits  should  be  useful.  The  results  of  such  an  in- 
vestigation are  embodied  in  the  present  paper,  and  amply  demon- 


312  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

strata  the  value  of  these  birds  to  the  agriculturist  —  a  value 
greater  thaft  that  of  any  other  group  of  birds  whose  economic 
status  has  thus  far  been  investigated.  The  native  Sparrows  con- 
trast markedly  in  this  respect  with  the  introduced  English 
Sparrow,  the  pernicious  habits  of  which  have  formed  the  subject  • 
of  a  special  report,  and  are  briefly  treated  in  this  bulletin  for 
purposes  of  comparison.  This  naturalized  Sparrow  is  a  pest 
wherever  it  is  found,  while  the  native  Sparrows  are  well  worthy 
of  protection  and  encouragement. 

"  The  great  bulk  of  the  food  of  Sparrows  and  other  small 
passerine  (or  perching)  birds  consists  of  fruit,  seeds,  and  insects. 
The  fruit  may  be  wild  berries  taken  from  shrubs  or  trees  of  no 
economic  importance,  with  little  economic  result  whether  the  bird 
eats  much  or  little;  or  it  may  be  cultivated  fruit,  in  which  case, 
of  course,  it  is  desirable  to  know  the  amount  destroyed. 

"  The  seed  element  is  of  particular  interest  only  when  it 
shows  destruction  of  grain  and  weeds.  Injury  to  grain  or  fruit 
by  birds  is  usually  the  most  prominent  and  often  the  only  fact 
of  economic  ornithology  possessed  by  the  layman;  yet  com- 
paratively few  birds  harm  either  of  these  crops,  while  many 
species  render  important  service  to  agriculture  by  destroying 
weed  seed.  As  has  been  aptly  said,  a  weed  is  a  plant  out  of  place. 
Certain  plants  seem  to  have  formed  a  habit  of  constantly  getting 
out  of  place  and  installing  themselves  in  cultivated  ground,  but 
whether  actually  among  crops  or  in  adjacent  waste  land,  from 
which  they  can  spread  to  cultivated  soil,  they  are  always  a  menace. 
In  the  garden  they  occupy  the  room  allotted  to  useful  plants,  and 
appropriate  their  light,  water,  and  food.  Any  check  on  these 
noxious  interlopers,  a  million  of  which  can  spring  up  on  a  single 
acre,  will  not  only  lessen  nature's  chance  of  populating  the  soil 
with  worse  than  useless  species,  but  will  enable  the  farmer  to 
attain  greater  success  with  cultivated  crops.  The  hoe  and  cul- 
tivator will  do  much  to  eradicate  them,  but  some  will  always 
succeed  in  ripening  a  multitude  of  seeds 'to  sprout  the  following 
season.  Certain  garden  weeds  produce  an  incredible  number  of 
seeds.  A  single  plant  of  one  of  these  species,  as  purslane,  for 
instance,  may  mature  as  many  as  100,000  seeds  in  a  season,  and 
these,  if  unchecked,  would  produce  in  a  few  years  a  number  of 
weeds  utterly  beyond  comprehension.  The  habits  of  some  of  the 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  313 

common  weeds  are  considered  in  connection  with  the  discussion 
of  the  value  of  birds  as  weed  destroyers. 

"  The  animal  food  of  the  smaller  land  birds  consists  of  insects 
and  spiders.  The  insects  belong  for  the  most  part  to  the  orders 
Lepidoptera  (butterflies  and  moths),  Orthoptera  (grasshopper^ 
locusts,  and  crickets),  Diptera  (flies),  Hemiptera  (bugs), 
Coleoptera  (beetles),  and  Hymenoptera  (ants,  bees,  and  wasps). 
Lepidoptera,  Orthoptera,  and  Coleoptera  furnish  the  bulk  of  the 
insect  food  of  birds.  The  lepidopterous  food  is  taken  almost  en- 
tirely in  the  larval  condition,  and  comprises  smooth  caterpillars 
belonging  largely  to  the  family  Noctuidse,  which  includes  cut- 
worms, army  worms,  and  their  allies.  The  Orthoptera  eaten  are 
principally  long-  and  short-horned  grasshoppers  (Locustidae  and 
Acrididse).  Coleoptera  form  a  most  important  element  of  bird 
food,  the  families  of  this  order  most  largely  represented  being 
the  Scarabaeidae  or  scarabaeid  beetles,  the  Carabidae  or  ground 
beetles,  the  Elateridae  or  click  beetles,  the  Chrysomelidae  or  leaf 
beetles,  and  the  Rhynchophora  or  weevils.  Some  of  the  scara- 
baeids  that  are  eaten  are  the  clumsy  brown  May  beetles  and  their 
allies  which  feed  on  growing  plants ;  others  comprise  a  group  of 
beetles  commonly  known  as  dung  beetles,  because  they  subsist 
on  the  droppings  of  animals.  Ground  beetles  are  alert,  active 
insects,  carnivorous  in  food  habits.  Click  beetles  are  narrow 
and  hard-shelled ;  when  disturbed,  they  curl  up  and  '  play  possum  ' 
until  the  danger  appears  to  be  past,  when  they  spring  into  the 
air  by  spasmodically  straightening  out  their  bodies  with  a  sharp 
clicking  sound.  Their  larvae,  wireworms,  are  often  very  destruc- 
tive to  crops.  The  leaf  beetles  taken  by  birds  are  pests  of  little 
economic  importance.  Weevils  constitute  a  destructive  class  of 
insect  pests,  and  are  extensively  preyed  on.  Diptera  furnish  no 
significant  part  of  the  food  of  birds,  though  the  slow-moving 
crane-flies  (Tipulidae)  and  midges  (Chironomidae)  are  at  times 
snapped  up,  and  some  larval  Diptera  are  occasionally  eaten.  The 
Hemiptera  include  both  leaf-hoppers  (Jassidae),  which  derive 
their  sustenance  by  probing  plants  with  their  sucking  beaks,  and 
true  bugs,  which  are  flat,  bad-smelling  insects.  Some  of  the 
bugs  feed  like  leaf-hoppers  on  the  juices  of  plants,  while  others 
are  predatory  and  subsist  on  succulent  insects.  The  hymenop- 
terous  element  of  bird  food  is  composed  of  ants,  wasps,  and  a 


314  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

few  small  bees,  the  wasps  including  flower-fertilizing  species  and 
parasitic  species  of  the  families  Ichneumonidae,  Braconidse,  and 
Scoliidse. 

"  The  value  of  a  bird  as  an  insect  destroyer  depends  upon  the 
Aralue  of  the  insects  it  consumes.  Each  insect  eaten  by  birds  must 
of  necessity  be  injurious,  beneficial,  or  neutral  in  its  effect  on 
crops,  though  it  is  not  always  easy  to  classify  it  properly.  While 
present  information  is  sufficient  to  fix  the  status  of  some  with 
sufficient  accuracy  for  all  practical  purposes,  in  the  case  of  others 
more  light  is  needed.  The  smaller  dung-feeding  scarabaeid 
beetles  appear  to  have  little  or  no  effect  upon  agriculture.  The 
great  majority  of  ants  have  habits  which  are  apparently  of  little 
interest  to  the  agriculturist;  and  although  some  (of  the  genus 
Lasius),  and  perhaps  others,  possess  certain  injurious  traits, 
while  a  few  may  have  traits  that  are  beneficial,  yet  the  effects  in 
any  event  are  of  minor  importance ;  so  that  ants  as  a  whole  may 
safely  be  classed  as  neutral.  Spiders,  which  for  purposes  of 
convenience  are  here  classed  with  insects,  are  carnivorous,  but 
their  prey  seems  to  include  about  as  many  beneficial  insects  as 
pests.  The  damage  done  by  weevils,  grasshoppers,  and  smooth 
caterpillars  is  notorious.  Cutworms  and  army  worms  often  do 
an  hnmense  amount  of  harm,  and  grasshoppers  frequently  occur 
in  such  voracious  hosts  that  they  sweep  away  every  vestige  of 
green  vegetation  before  them.  On  the  other  hand,  carnivorous 
ground  beetles  (Carabidae)  kill  multitudes  of  insect  pests,  and 
certain  parasitic  wasp-like  hymenopterous  insects  of  the  families 
Braconidse,  Chalcididae,  and  Ichneumonidae  destroy  great  num- 
bers of  caterpillars.  One  of  these  parasitic  insects  will  deposit 
in  the  back  of  a  caterpillar  from  20  to  2,000  eggs,  which  soon 
hatch  into  grub-like  larvae  that  feed  upon  the  fatty  tissues  and 
exhaust  the  caterpillar  so  that  it  is  not  able  to  transform  into  a 
perfect  insect." 

"  On  one  of  the  Maryland  farms  visited  in  1896,  Tree  Spar- 
rows, Fox  Sparrows,  White-throated  Sparrows,  Song  Sparrows, 
and  Juncos  fairly  swarmed  during  the  month  of  December  in 
the  briers  of  the  ditches  between  the  cornfields.  They  came  into 
the  open  fields  to  feed  on  weed  seed,  and  were  most  active  where 
the  smartweed  formed  a  tangle  on  low  ground.  Later  in  the 
season  the  place  was  carefully  examined.  In  a  cornfield  near  a 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  315 

ditch  the  smartweed  formed  a  thicket  more  than  3  feet  high,  and 
the  ground  beneath  was  literally  black  with  seeds.  Examination 
showed  that  these  seeds  had  been  cracked  open  and  the  meat 
removed.  In  a  rectangular  space  of  18  square  inches  were  found 
1,130  half  seeds  and  only  2  whole  seeds.  During  the  ensuing 
season  no  smartweed  grew  where  the  sparrows  had  caused  this 
extensive  destruction.  Even  as  late  as  May  13  the  birds  were 
still  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  these  and  other  weeds  in  the  field. 
Sixteen  sparrows  were  collected  on  that  date,  and  12  of  these, 
mainly  Song,  Chipping,  and  Field  Sparrows,  proved  to  have  been 
eating  old  weed  seed.  So  thoroughly  had  the  work  been  done  that 
diligent  search  showed  only  half  a  dozen  seeds  in  the  field  where 
they  had  been  feeding.  The  birds  had  taken  practically  all  that 
were  not  covered;  in  fact,  the  Song  Sparrow  and  several  others 
had  scratched  up  much  buried  seed." 

"  It  is  hardly  to  be  expected  that  such  seed  eaters  as  sparrows 
should  destroy  as  great  a  quantity  of  insect  pests  as  birds  that 
are  entirely  insectivorous.  When  it  is  found  that  in  the  food  of 
the  native  sparrows  such  pests  average  but  25  per  cent,  it  is  only 
what  might  be  expected.  Still  this  percentage,  when  compared 
with  the  percentage  found  in  the  cases  of  some  birds,  is  no  mean 
showing.  The  Red-winged  Blackbird's  is  less  than  20  per  cent, 
the  Catbird's  but  16  per  cent,  the  Cowbird's  less  than  20  per  cent, 
and  the  Crow  Blackbird's  only  10  per  cent. 

"  But  as  weed  destroyers,  the  native  sparrows  are  unrivaled. 
In  a  garden  within  two  months  they  will  sometimes  destroy  90 
per  cent  of  such  weeds  as  pigeon-grass  and  ragweed.  After  they 
have  consumed  most  of  these  seeds  they  turn  to  those  of  other 
weeds,  which  furnish  them  with  a  bountiful  supply  of  food  all 
through  the  winter  and  even  well  into  the  spring.  Weed  seed 
forms  more  than  half  of  their  food  for  the  entire  year,  and  during 
the  colder  half  of  the  year  it  constitutes  about  four-fifths  of  the 
food  of  many  species." 

"  Part  of  the  investigation  on  this  farm  was  directed  to  the 
question  of  the  dissemination  of  weed  seed  by  sparrows.  One 
hundred  and  fifty  bird  droppings  were  collected  on  each  side  of 
the  brook,  in  the  ragweed  field  and  in  the  weedy  garden  above. 
Examination  of  these  revealed  but  seven  uninjured  seeds,  one  of 
crab-grass  and  six  of  amaranth,  certainly  a  very  insignificant 


3l6  CONNECTICUT   GEOL,    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

proportion  of  the  number  consumed.  And  it  is  not  unlikely  that 
many  of  those  thus  voided  uninjured  are  afterwards  taken  a 
second  time.  Most  of  the  dung  consisted  of  the  pulverized  re- 
mains of  seeds,  among  which  the  most  conspicuous  were  small 
fragments  of  the  akenes  of  ragweed."  ( Judd,  "  The  Relation  of 
Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

We  shall  make  no  attempt  to  discuss  the  food  of  all  the  34 
members  of  this  family  that  occur  more  or  less  regularly  in  our 
state,  as  the  space  required  would  be  too  great  and  nearly  the 
same  feeding  habits  characterize  all,  but  confine  ourselves  to  some 
of  the  more  important  or  noticeable  species. 

The  Pine  Grosbeak  (Pinicola  enucleator  leucura)  occasionally 
visits  us  in  flocks  in  winter.  They  "  travel  in  small  flocks,  which 
spend  much  of  their  time  in  coniferous  forests,  feeding  upon  buds 
of  pine  and  spruce;  they  also  eat  the  buds  and  seeds  of  white 
ash,  basswood,  alder,  birch,  apple,  pear,  and  poplar,  as  well  as 
the  berries  of  the  red  cedar  and  the  high-bush  cranberry.  In 
winter  they  often  subsist  largely  upon  the  pulp  and  seeds  of 
frozen  apples.  In  some  instances  they  have  been  known  to  injure 
fruit  orchards  by  feeding  upon  the  buds,  but  this  is  a  rare 
occurrence.  Professor  Aughey  found  that  five  Nebraska  speci- 
mens taken  during  winter  had  eaten,  along  with  various  seeds, 
a  large  number  of  eggs  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  locust."  (Weed 
and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Man.") 

The  Purple  Finch  (Carpodacus  purpureus  purpureus)  has 
been  seen,  "  '  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  the  poplar,  buttonwood, 
juniper,  cedar,  and  on  those  of  many  rank  weeds  that  flourish 
in  rich  bottoms  and  along  the  margins  of  creeks.  When  the 
rainy  season  is  very  severe,  they  proceed  to  the  South,  as  far  at 
least  as  Georgia,  returning  North  early  in  April.  They  now 
frequent  the  elm  trees,  feeding  on  the  slender  but  sweet  covering 
of  the  flowers ;  and  as  soon  as  the  cherries  put  out  their  blossoms 
they  feed  almost  exclusively  upon  the  stamens  of  the  flowers; 
afterwards  the  apple  blossoms  are  attacked  in  the  same  manner; 
and  their  depredations  on  these  continue  until  they  disappear, 
which  is  usually  about  the  tenth  or  middle  of  May.'  Many  later 
observers  have  seen  the  Purple  Finch  eating  the  tender  por- 
tions, although  little  real  damage  seems  to  be  done  by  it;  and 
as  a  partial  offset  it  is  also  known  to  devour  aphides  and  various 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  317 

caterpillars."  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to 
Man.")  This  bird  also  often  destroys  the  seeds  of  noxious 
plants,  as  the  ragweed. 

The  American  and  White-winged  Crossbills  (Loxia 
curvirostra  minor  and  leucoptera)  feed  chiefly  on  the  seeds  of 
pines,  hemlocks,  and  spruces.  None  of  the  above  species,  how- 
ever, have  been  shown  to  do  any  real  harm,  and  none  are  usually 
common  with  us. 

With  the  English  Sparrow  (Passer  domesticus  domesticus) 
the  case  is  different.  Thronging  in  our  cities  and  crowding  yearly 
farther  into  the  country  districts,  multiplying  with  enormous 
rapidity  and  driving  our  small  native  birds  before  it,  this  once 
welcome  foreigner  has  turned  its  warm  reception  into  active  dis- 
like. But  all  attempts  to  exterminate  it  by  bounty  or  combined 
effort  have  so  far  been  failures,  and  the  best  that  can  be  hoped 
for  is  to  protect  our  native  birds  against  its  attacks  and  destroy 
it  when  possible.  At  first  only  an  inhabitant  of  cities  in  this  coun- 
try, this  sparrow  readily  adjusts  itself  to  surroundings  and 
climate,  and  the  writer  has  seen  it  in  flocks  of  hundreds  far  from 
towns  in  the  interior  of  North  Dakota.  "  The  English  Sparrow, 
or,  more  properly  speaking,  the  house  sparrow  of  Europe  and 
Asia,  was  introduced  into  the  United  States  about  1850,  and  has 
increased  and  spread  until  now  it  is  one  of  the  most  abundant 
birds  east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  It  does  not,  however,  occur 
in  the  lower  part  of  Florida  and  certain  parts  of  Mississippi  and 
Louisiana,  nor  in  some  portions  of  Maine,  Minnesota,  and  North 
Dakota.  West  of  the  Mississippi  River  its  range  forms  a  tongue- 
like  area  extending  to  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  in 
Colorado,  and  includes  Missouri,  Kansas,  Arkansas,  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  parts  of  South  Dakota,  Texas,  Oklahoma,  and 
Nebraska.  It  is  also  found  in  isolated  localities  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  principally  about  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  San  Francisco 
Bay,  near  Portland,  Oregon,  and  on  Puget  Sound,  Washington. 
In  Canada  it  is  established  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree  in  all 
the  eastern  provinces.  It  has  recently  penetrated  to  Manitoba, 
but  has  not  yet  otherwise  secured  a  foothold  to  the  north  and 
west  of  Ontario.  Throughout  its  range  it  abounds  chiefly  in 
towns  and  villages,  along  roads,  and  about  farms,  and  is  not 
found  in  mountainous  or  forested  districts. 


3l8  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  The  relation  of  the  bird  to  man  was  investigated  by  the 
Department  of  Agriculture,  and  the  results  were  published  in 
1889.  This  investigation,  which  included  extended  field  observa- 
tion and  the  examination  of  more  than  600  stomachs,  showed 
the  species  to  be  a  serious  pest.  Since  the  appearance  of  this 
publication  132  additional  stomachs  have  been  examined,  and  a 
special  study  has  been  made  of  the  food  of  the  young.  For  the 
latter  purposes  50  birds  from  3  days  to  3  weeks  old  were  collected 
during  the  last  of  June  and  the  first  of  July,  1899,  from  a  farming 
region  in  Virginia  opposite  Washington,  D.  C. 

"  The  82  stomachs  of  adults  were  collected  throughout  the 
year  in  rural  localities  in  Maryland,  Michigan,  New  York,  Penn- 
sylvania, Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Kansas.  Animal  matter,  practically 
all  insects,  constitutes  2  per  cent  of  the  food,  and  vegetable  mat- 
ter, almost  entirely  seeds,  98  per  cent.  Insects  were  taken  chiefly 
during  May  and  June,  when  they  composed  10  and  8  per  cent 
respectively  of  the  month's  food.  Of  the  98  per  cent  constituting 
the  vegetable  food,  7  per  cent  consisted  of  grass  seed,  largely  of 
plants  of  the  genera  Zisdnia  (wild  rice),  Panicum,  and  Chcetoch- 
loa,  and  notably  crab-grass  and  pigeon-grass,  and  17  per  cent  of 
various  weeds  not  belonging  to  the  grass  family.  The  grass 
and  weed  seeds  taken  are  not  noticeably  different  from  those 
usually  eaten  by  native  sparrows.  But  what  especially  differen- 
tiates the  vegetable  food  from  that  of  all  other  sparrows  is  the 
large  proportion  of  grain  consumed,  which  formed  74  per  cent 
of  the  entire  food  of  the  year  and  90  per  cent  of  that  of  the  period 
from  June  to  August. 

"  The  examination  of  the  contents  of  the  stomachs  of  the  50 
nestlings  made  an  unfavorable  showing  for  the  species.  It  was 
found  that,  instead  of  being  exclusively  insectivorous,  like  the 
young  of  all  the  native  sparrows  so  far  as  known,  the  young 
English  Sparrows  had  taken  35  per  cent  vegetable  food,  2  per 
cent  being  weed  seed  and  33  per  cent  grain.  The  animal  food 
was  made  up  entirely  of  insects  and  those  were  chiefly  injurious. 
One  per  cent  of  the  food  consisted  of  bugs,  3  per  cent  of  ants 
and  other  Hymenoptera,  4  per  cent  of  Lepidoptera,  8  per  cent 
of  beetles,  and  49  per  cent  of  grasshoppers. 

"  Three-fourths  of  the  beetles  were  weevils,  and  practically 
all  the  grasshoppers  were  the  short-horned  (Acrididse),  the 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  319 

greater  part  of  which  belonged  to  the  species  Melanoplus  atlanis 
and  Melanoplus  femur-rubrum.  The  destruction  of  these  harm- 
ful insects  is  of  course  a  service  to  agriculture;  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  all  the  food  of  the  nestlings  of  other  sparrows 
consists  of  insects  just  as  injurious,  while  one-third  of  the  food 
of  English  Sparrows  is  composed  of  grain. 

"  As  an  insect  destroyer  the  'English  Sparrow  does  its  best 
service  by  destroying  grasshoppers,  principally  in  feeding  nes- 
tlings, nearly  half  of  the  food  of  which,  as  shown,  was  found 
to  consist  of  grasshoppers  of  the  genus  Melanoplus.  Other 
Orthoptera  are  eaten  to  a  slight  extent.  It  is  a  common  sight 
along  roads  to  see  the  birds  pursuing  and  capturing  the  large 
dust-colored  grasshopper  (Dissosteira  Carolina)  which  shows 
yellow  underwings  when  it  flies.  Long-horned  grasshoppers 
(Locustidas),  small  grasshoppers  of  the  genus  Tettix,  and,  in  one 
instance  at  least,  the  mole  cricket  (Gryllotalpa)  were  included  in 
the  orthopterous  food  found  in  their  stomachs.  The  species  of 
Lepidoptera  preyed  on  are  important  pests.  Whenever  there  is 
an  uprising  of  army  worms,  the  English  Sparrows  feast  on  the 
abundant  supply.  They  have  been  observed  catching  the  moth 
also  of  the  army  worm.  During  spring  and  early  summer,  they 
remove  many  cutworms  from  lawns,  and,  to  a  certain  extent, 
feed  on  hairless  caterpillars  on  shade  trees.  Occasionally  they 
destroy  a  few  hairy  caterpillars ;  they  eat  the  fall  webworm  and 
tussock-moth  caterpillars;  and  sometimes  feed  on  the  moths  and 
egg  clusters*  of  the  latter  species ;  they  are  included  by  Forbush 
among  birds  seen  to  feed  on  the  gypsy  moth,  and  they  have  been 
observed  by  Weed  preying  on  the  moths  of  the  forest  tent  cater- 
pillar. But  that  they  do  not  habitually  eat  hairy  caterpillars  and 
should  not  be  expected  to  act  as  a  potent  check  upon  such  insects, 
is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  only  two  of  nearly  700  stomachs 
examined  contained  hairy  caterpillars." 

"  It  appears,  therefore,  that  there  is  little  to  be  said  in  favor 
of  the  English  Sparrow.  Its  insectivorous  habits  are  creditable 
as  far  as  they  go,  but  they  are  insignificant  because  the  diet  is 
almost  exclusively  vegetable ;  and,  while  it  is  in  the  vegetable  fare 
that  the  value  of  most  sparrows  consists,  yet  in  the  case  of  the 
English  Sparrow  the  damage  to  grain  far  overbalances  the 
benefit  of  weed  seed  destruction.  Adding  to  this  the  injury  it 


32O  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

causes  to  buildings  and  statues  in  cities,  there  is  no  escape  from 
the  conclusion  that  the  bird  is  a  serious  pest,  the  extermination 
of  which  would  be  an  unmixed  blessing."  ( Judd,  "  The  Relation 
of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

As  will  be  seen  from  these  statistics,  almost  the  entire  food 
of  this  bird  is  vegetable  food  and  this  is  taken  chiefly  from  grow- 
ing crops.  It  is  known  to  inflict  serious  injury  on  grain,  including 
rye,  wheat,  barley,  rice,  oats,  and  corn;  green  vegetables,  includ- 
ing peas,  cabbages,  and  tender  shoots;  fruits  and  berries,  such 
as  pears,  apples,  peaches,  grapes,  figs,  cherries,  and  currants ;  and 
on  buds,  blossoms,  and  foliage  of  all  sorts.  Not  content  with 
this  it  attacks  our  native  birds,,  preempts  the  breeding  places  of 
some,  and  enters  the  homes  of  Martins,  Swallows,  Bluebirds, 
and  Wrens,  destroys  their  eggs  or  young,  and  rears  its  own  brood 
in  their  place.  Professor  Barrows  gives  a  list  of  75  species  of 
our  native  birds  which  English  Sparrows  have  been  reported  to 
molest,  among  which  are  377  different  records  of  their  attacking 
the  Bluebird,  182  on  the  Robin,  191  on  different  Wrens,  440  on 
Swallows  and  Martins,  and  273  on  other  Sparrows.  That  its 
habits  have  not  improved  in  recent  years,  an  investigation  made 
by  Mr.  Charles  K.  Reed  in  1904  shows.  Of  over  100  postals  and 
many  letters  received  regarding  this  bird  only  four  were  in  its 
favor.  ("American  Ornithology,"  Vol.  4,  p.  130.) 

Still  another  count  in  the  grave  indictment  against  this  species 
has  been  proven  by  Mr.  H.  E.  Ewing  in  The  Auk  for  July,  1911 ; 
and  he  reaches  the  following  conclusions :  "  The  English  Sparrow 
frequently  harbors  and  is  the  host  of  one  of  our  worst,  if  not 
the  worst,  of  poultry  pests,  the  chicken  louse  or  chicken  mite, 
Dermanyssus  gallince  Redi.  Sparrows  become  repeatedly  in- 
oculated with  these  mites  from  the  chicken  roosts,  because  of 
their  habit  of  lining  their  nests  with  poultry  feathers,  many  of 
which  have  lice  upon  them,  shaken  off  of  the  infested  chickens 
when  wallowing  in  the  dust,  etc.  Sparrow  nests,  when  built  in 
the  vicinity  of  chicken  roosts,  upon  becoming  deserted  may  leave 
hundreds  or  thousands  of  lice,  to  seek  food  and  shelter  elsewhere. 
These  individuals  being  very  active  on  their  feet,  and  able  to 
sustain  themselves  for  several  days  away  from  a  host,  may 
travel  distances  and  infest  new  chicken  houses. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  321 

"  The  English  Sparrow  likewise  harbors  and  is  the  host  of 
perhaps  the  most  important  of  all  external  parasites  of  our 
native  song  birds,  and  likewise  of  our  tamed  cage  birds,  the  bird 
mite,  Dermanyssus  avium  De  Geer." 

The  English  Sparrow  multiplies  so  rapidly  (having  been 
known  to  raise  six  broods  in  a  year)  that  our  native  birds  could 
not  compete  with  it  were  they  equally  pugnacious  and  capable 
like  it  of  remaining  in  this  region  all  the  year.  "  It  is  a  hardy, 
prolific,  and  aggressive  bird,  possessed  of  much  intelligence  and 
more  than  ordinary  cunning.  It  is  domestic  and  gregarious  in 
habit,  and  takes  advantage  of  the  protection  afforded  by  prox- 
imity to  man,  thus  escaping  nearly  all  the  enemies  which  check  the 
increase  of  our  native  birds.  Moreover,  for  many  years  it  was 
looked  upon  with  favor,  and  both  food  and  shelter  were  provided 
for  it. 

"  Its  fecundity  is  amazing ;  and,  from  the  testimony  submitted, 
it  is  evident  that  it  is  no  unusual  thing  for  a  single  pair,  in  the 
latitude  of  New  York  or  further  south,  to  rear  twenty  or  thirty 
young  in  the  course  of  a  year.  Assuming  the  annual  product 
of  a  pair  to  be  twenty-four  young,  of  which  half  are  females  and 
half  males,  and  assuming  further,  for  the  sake  of  computation, 
that  all  live,  together  with  their  offspring,  it  will  be  seen  that  in 
ten  years  the  progeny  of  a  single  pair  would  be  275,  716,  983, 
698."  (Barrows,  "  English  Sparrow  in  North  America.") 

With  such  a  record,  the  only  question  left  is  what  measures 
can  best  be  taken  against  it.  "  In  the  city  of  Boston,  during  1899, 
a  crusade  was  inaugurated  through  the  efforts  of  the  American 
Society  of  Bird  Restorers.  From  March  13  to  April  5,  six  men 
were  employed  in  the  Common  and  Public  Garden  destroying  the 
nests  and  eggs.  Five  thousand  nesting  holes  were  plugged  up, 
4,000  nests  destroyed,  and  1,000  eggs  broken,  but  no  birds  were 
killed.  It  is  claimed  that  nearly  half  of  the  sparrows  which 
normally  breed  on  the  Common  and  Public  Garden  were  driven 
away.  In  May  only  250  to  300  pairs  of  sparrows  were  found, 
while  the  number  of  pairs  counted  in  the  parks  before  the  sparrow 
war  began  amounted  to  500. 

"  Much  is  always  to  be  learned  from  an  experiment  of  this 
kind,  and  other  cities  should  profit  by  Boston's  experience.  There 
is  reason  to  believe,  however,  that  the  present  rapid  supplanting 
21 


322  CONNECTICUT    GEQL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bllll. 

of  horse  power  by  electricity  will,  by  reducing  the  food  supply 
of  the  birds,  do  more  toward  diminishing  their  numbers  in  the 
city  parks  than  any  plan  for  restricting  their  reproduction.  The 
amount  of  expense  that  may  profitably  be  incurred  in  combating 
the  sparrow  will  depend  on  circumstances,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  house  rat  and  mouse;  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  bounty  system  has  proved  to  be  only  an  extravagant  failure.'* 
(Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

But  to  effectually  combat  these  pests  more  active  measures 
must  be  taken.  "  Preliminary  to  the  following  destructive  meas- 
ures, sparrows  should  be  baited  until  they  are  attached  to  the  spot 
selected  for  their  execution.  Seeds,  grain,  or  waste  from  the 
table,  if  supplied  regularly,  will  soon  establish  a  feeding  place. 
If  a  general  campaign  is  to  be  undertaken,  enough  such  feeding 
places  should  be  maintained  to  attract  to  them  practically  all  the 
English  Sparrows  in  the  neighborhood.  This  can  be  easily  done 
in  winter  when  food  is  scarce.  After  thus  baiting  the  sparrows 
they  may  be  trapped,  shot,  or  poisoned. 

"  Traps  alone  are  inadequate  to  exterminate  sparrows,  but 
a  reduction  of  numbers  can  be  effected  by  using  a  shallow  box 
not  less  than  4  feet  square,  open  on  one  side  and  covered  with 
woven  wire  on  the  other.  One  side  of  this  trap  rests  on  the 
ground,  while  the  opposite  side  is  supported  by  a  stick  18  inches 
long.  Near  the  upper  end  of  this  stick  is  attached  a  long  cord, 
and  between  the  top  of  it  and  the  edge  of  the  trap  is  placed  a 
chip.  By  setting  the  trap  over  bait  and  pulling  the  cord  from 
a  sheltered  place  of  observation  when  a  flock  of  sparrows  is  be- 
neath it,  numbers  of  them  may  be  caught.  Instead  of  the  box 
described  above,  by  which  the  birds  are  taken  alive,  an  old  door 
or  similar  device  may  be  employed  as  a  deadfall.  In  either  case 
the  trap  should  be  kept  set  and  baited  until  the  sparrows  are  not 
afraid  to  go  under  it.  The  best  time  for  trapping  is  just  after 
a  snowstorm,  when  the  birds  have  been  fasting.  Then,  if  the 
ground  be  cleared  and  chaff  and  grain  be  put  under  the  trap, 
the  birds  will  crowd  in  and  enable  the  trapper  to  secure  nearly 
all  of  the  local  flock.  If  any  escape,  they  will  spread  the  fear 
of  traps,  and  before  long  very  few  of  the  birds  can  be  induced 
to  go  into  one. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  323 

"  Sparrows  are  accustomed  to  feed  in  close  flocks,  and  when 
thus  assembled  a  large  number  can  be  killed  by  a  charge  of 
No.  10  shot.  The  best  way  is  to  scatter  grain  over  long,  narrow 
areas  and  shoot  the  sparrows  at  these  baiting  places.  Where 
sparrows  infest  poultry  yards,  the  bait  may  be  placed  on  a  hor- 
izontal board,  supported  at  such  an  elevation  that  the  birds  can 
be  shot  without  danger  to  the  poultry. 

"  Since  English  Sparrows  are  a  pest,  and  a  reduction  of  their 
numbers  is  important  on  economic  grounds,  there  would  seem 
to  be  no  reason  why  the  birds,  when  trapped  or  shot,  should  not 
be  utilized  for  food  in  this  country,  as  they  have  been  in  the 
Old  World  for  centuries.  Their  flesh  is  palatable  and  nutritious, 
and  in  city  restaurants  they  are  often  served  under  the  name  of 
reedbirds. 

"  WThere  the  use  of  poison  is  not  prohibited  by  law,  it  may 
be  effectively  used  to  reduce  the  number  of  sparrows.  Of  the 
different  poisons  tested,  the  most  satisfactory  is  strychnia  sul- 
phate. It  is  easily  prepared  and  acts  quickly.  Wheat  has  proved 
to  be  a  good  bait,  as  well  as  an  excellent  vehicle  for  administer- 
ing the  poison.  The  grain  should  be  regularly  supplied  at  the 
baiting  stations  until  the  birds  have  become  accustomed  to  resort 
to  the  place.  A  good  time  to  put  it  out  is  early  morning,  as  the 
birds  are  sure  to  be  hungry  for  breakfast.  The  capacity  of  the 
sparrow's  crop  and  stomach  is  about  30  kernels  of  wheat,  varying 
according  to  the  size  of  the  kernels.  In  deciding  the  amount  of 
poisoned  wheat  to  put  out  at  one  time,  it  is  well  to  estimate  the 
number  of  sparrows  frequenting  a  feeding  place  and  to  allow 
about  20  kernels  for  each  sparrow. 

"  Although  two  kernels  of  wheat  coated  with  the  solution 
described  below  have  been  known  to  kill  a  sparrow,  6  or  7 
kernels  are  required  to  insure  fatal  results.  Only  as  much  poison 
should  be  put  out  as  is  likely  to  be  eaten  in  one  day,  as  exposure 
to  moisture  reduces  its  virulence.  Furthermore,  sparrows  that 
take  less  than  a  fatal  quantity,  or  that  become  frightened  by  the 
death  of  comrades,  will  forsake  a  feeding  place  if  poison  is  kept 
there  constantly.  It  is  better,  therefore,  to  supply  unpoisoned 
wheat  after  each  poisoning  until  the  birds  have  recovered  con- 
fidence. An  important  advantage  in  having  several  feeding 
grounds  is  that  they  may  be  used  in  rotation,  the  sparrows  for- 


324  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

getting  their  fear  of  one  while  the  others  in  turn  are  receiving 
poison. 

"  A  poison  mixture  that  has  proved  very  eff ective  is  prepared 
as  follows:  Put  one-eighth  ounce  of  strychnia  sulphate  into 
three-fourths  of  a  gill  of  hot  water,  and  boil  until  dissolved. 
Moisten  iJ/2  teaspoonfuls  of  starch  with  a  few  drops  of  cold  water, 
add  it  to  the  poison  solution,  and  beat  till  the  starch  thickens. 
Pour  the  hot  poisoned  starch  solution  over  i  quart  of  wheat,  and 
stir  until  every  kernel  is  coated.  Small-kerneled  wheat  sold  as 
poultry  food,  if  reasonably  clean,  is  preferable  to  first-quality 
grain,  being  cheaper  and  more  easily  eaten  by  the  sparrows.  A 
2-quart  glass  fruit  jar  is  a  good  vessel  to  mix  in,  as  it  is  easily 
shaken  and  allows  the  contents  to  be  seen.  If  the  coated 
wheat  be  spread  thinly  on  a  hard,  flat  surface,  it  will  dry  enough 
for  use  in  a  short  time.  It  should  be  dried  thoroughly  if  it  is  to 
be  put  into  jars  and  kept  for  future  use.  Dishes  employed  in 
preparing  poison  may  be  safely  cleansed  by  washing. 

"  The  poison  should  be  well  scattered,  so  that  many  birds  may 
be  able  to  partake  at  the  same  time,  since  after  a  few  are  affected 
their  actions  excite  the  suspicion  of  their  comrades.  Usually  a 
few  sparrows  get  only  enough  strychnine  to  paralyze  them  for  a 
few  hours,  after  which  they  recover.  It  is  important,  therefore, 
to  visit  the  feeding  places  two  or  three  hours  after  distributing 
poison,  to  prevent  such  birds  from  escaping.  It  is  well  also  to 
remove  dead  birds  promptly  to  avoid  exciting  the  suspicions  of 
those  that  are  unaffected.  In  northern  latitudes  the  best  time  to 
put  out  poison  is  just  after  a  snowstorm,  when  other  food  is 
covered.  The  feeding  place  should  be  cleared  of  snow  and  the 
poison  laid  early  in  the  morning. 

"  Sparrows  should  be  baited  in  secluded  places,  safe  from 
interruptions,  and  where  doves  and  poultry  are  not  endangered. 
Roofs,  back  yards,  and  unused  poultry  runs  are  favorable  situa- 
tions. Proximity  to  low  trees,  grape  arbors,  and  similar  retreats, 
has  the  advantage  that  sparrows  go  to  such  places  between  meals, 
and  many  dead  birds  will  be  found  there  well  away  from  the 
"bait.  If  undisturbed,  poisoned  birds  will  usually  be  found  within 
a  few  feet  of  where  the  bait  was  spread,  death  occurring  in  from 
three  to  twenty  minutes.  Where  doves  or  poultry  are  likely  to 
be  poisoned,  the  sparrows,  after  being  baited,  may  be  induced 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  325 

to  feed  in  small  covered  pens  made  of  coarsely  meshed  wire 
netting  and  having  the  sides  raised  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
above  the  ground.  There  is  practically  no  danger  that  cats  or 
other  animals  will  die  from  eating  sparrows  that  have  been 
poisoned.  Any  wheat  coated  by  the  above  process,  which  is  over- 
looked by  the  birds,  will  become  harmless  after  a  few  rains. 
Sparrows  can  be  reduced  locally  to  almost  any  desired  extent  by 
the  methods  outlined  above,  but  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that 
such  reduction  can  be  made  permanent  only  by  systematic  and 
continued  efforts."  (N.  Dearborn,  "How  to  Destroy  the  Eng- 
lish Sparrow.") 

With  this  species  our  review  of  harmful  and  negative  spar- 
rows ceases,  for  almost  all  the  remaining  species  are  exceedingly 
useful. 

The  American  Goldfinch  (Astragalinus  tristis  tristis)  "  or 
wTild  canary,  is  as  useful  as  it  is  beautiful,  and  as  a  weed  destroyer 
has  few  equals.  It  confines  its  attention  very  largely  to  one 
family  of  plants,  the  Compositas,  and  is  especially  fond  of  thistles, 
wild  lettuce,  wild  sunflower,  and  ragweed.  It  is  so  often  seen 
on  thistles,  both  Canada  and  bull  thistles,  that  it  is  commonly 
known. as  the  thistle  bird.  Near  Washington,  D.  C,  a  flock  of 
a  dozen  birds  was  seen  during  the  latter  part  of  August  feeding 
on  sunflowers  that  had  escaped  from  cultivation,  and  in  the  central 
and  western  states  the  Goldfinches  do  much  good  by  eating  the 
seeds  of  wild  sunflowers  and  other  closely  related  weeds.  They 
have  also  been  seen  feeding  upon  wild  lettuce  (Lactuca  spicata), 
and  probably  eat  prickly  lettuce  (Lactuca  scariola),  which  has 
proved  the  most  rapidly  spreading  weed  ever  introduced  into 
this  country ;  but  as  yet  no  actual  observations  as  to  the  latter 
food  habit  have  been  made.  Stomachs  collected  in  August  were 
filled  with  seeds  of  Composite,  mostly  sunflowers  (various  species 
of  Helianthus)  and  thistles  (Carduus  lanceolatus  and  other 
species.) 

"  At  Burlington,  Iowa,  during  July  and  August,  Mr.  Paul 
Bartsch  found  Goldfinches  feeding  exclusively  upon  the  bull 
thistle  (Carduus  lanceolatus).  He  was  able  to  approach  within  a 
few  feet  of  several  birds  while  thus  engaged,  and  noticed  that 
the  seeds  or  akenes  were  bitten  off  and  swallowed  while  the 
plumes  or  pappus  floated  away.  When  there  was  no  wind,  the 


326  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

pappus  often  failed  to  fly  away,  and  clung  to  the  birds,  almost 
burying  them  with  down.  A  dozen  of  the  birds  were  killed,  and 
their  gizzards  and  gullets  were  found  literally  crammed  with  the 
thistle  seed.  At  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.,  Goldfinches  have  been  seen 
eating  the  seed  of  the  Scotch  thistle  (Onopordon  acanthium)  and 
boneset  (Eupatorium  perfoliatum).  Coneflowers  (Rudbeckia 
hirta),  prairie  sunflowers  (Caillardia) ,  evening  primroses,  catnip, 
elephant's-foot  (Elephantopus  sp.),  and  mullein  also  form  part 
of  their  food ;  and  late  in  the  season  they  turn  their  attention  to 
ragweed,  and  consume  great  quantities  of  the  seeds  of  this  trouble- 
some species.  In  winter  and  spring  large  flocks  feed  to  some 
extent  upon  the  seeds  of  conifers  and  catkin-bearing  trees,  such 
as  the  sycamore  and  birch.  In  destroying  the  seeds  of  the  gray 
birch  (Betula  populifolia)  on  the  edge  of  grass  lands  they  do 
some  good,  for  this  tree  has  a  habit  of  seeding  adjacent  pastures, 
which  then  grow  up  into  a  thicket  of  young  saplings."  (Judd, 
"  Birds  as  Weed  Destroyers/') 

The  Pine  Siskin  (Spinus  pinus)  and  the  Redpoll  (Acanthis 
linaria)  "  feed  largely  upon  seeds  of  conifers,  sycamores,  birches, 
and  alders,  but  also  descend  to  the  ground  to  eat  weed  seed.  In 
winter  they  feed  upon  sow  thistles  (Sonchus  oleraceus),  field 
asters  (Aster  sp.),  and  goldenrod  (Solidago  sp.).  The  Redpoll 
Linnet  is  known  to  destroy  mullein  seeds  (Verbascum  thapsus), 
and  the  Pine  Siskin  is  often  seen  consuming  quantities  of  seeds 
of  chickweed  (Alsine  media),  lamb's-quarters  (Chenopodium 
album),  and  ragweed  (Ambrosia  artemisice  folia)."  (Judd, 
"  Birds  as  Weed  Destroyers.") 

The  Snowflake  or  Snow  Bunting  (Plectrophenax  nivalis 
nivalis),  coming  in  winter  to  our  snow-covered  fields,  feeds  on 
the  seeds  clinging  to  the  weed  stalks  that  stand  above  the  drifts. 
"  From  the  examination  of  the  stomachs  collected,  it  would  appear 
that  the  Snowflake  derives  fully  half  its  subsistence  from  two 
weeds  —  amaranth  and  ragweed ;  and  that  it  does  not  to  any 
great  extent  feed  on  the  seeds  of  crab-grass,  pigeon-grass,  or 
other  grasses,  though  it  should  be  stated  that  Mcllwraith  reports 
it  as  eating  the  seeds  of  broom  sedge  (Andropogon  scoparius). 
Only  i  per  cent  of  the  food  contained  in  the  46  stomachs  examined 
was  grass  seed.  But,  in  addition  to  the  fact  that  the  number 
of  stomachs  examined  was  too  small  to  permit  final  conclusions 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  327 

to  be  drawn,  for  other  reasons  this  should  not  be  taken  as  show- 
ing a  distaste  for  grass  seed.  The  taste  for  similar  food,  as 
shown  by  the  partiality  of  the  birds  for  grain,  and  the  quantity 
of  grass  seed  eaten  by  the  closely  allied,  more  southerly  ranging 
Long-spurs,  indicate  that  the  abstinence  of  the  Snowflake  from 
this  food  is  due  to  necessity  and  not  choice.  We  must  remember 
that  the  grass  seed,  which  falls  to  the  ground  when  ripe,  instead 
of  clinging  to  the  stalk,  as  do  many  of  the  seeds  of  amaranth, 
lamb's-quarters,  and  ragweed,  is  probably  buried  under  the  snow 
during  most  of  the  time  the  Snowflakes  are  here.  The  amaranth 
is  tall,  and  its  seeds  are  particularly  clinging,  and  after  very- 
heavy  snowfalls  it  is  probably  the  most  available  food  supply  the 
Snowflakes  have.  Its  seeds  form  half  the  food  found  in  the 
stomachs  collected  in  February  and  March,  some  of  which  con- 
tained from  500  to  1,500  each.  Such  a  wholesale  destruction  of 
the  seeds  of  this  rank  weed  as  is  thus  indicated  is  not  accom- 
plished by  any  other  bird  whose  food  habits  have  thus  far  been 
investigated.  With  most  species  of  seed-eating  birds  amaranth 
is  by  no  means  an  important  article  of  diet. 

"  On  account  of  its  good  work  as  a  weed  destroyer  and  the 
apparent  absence  of  any  noticeably  detrimental  food  habits,  the 
Snowflake  seems  to  deserve  high  commendation,  and  should  re- 
ceive careful  protection.  Feeding  in  latitudes  that  have  been 
deserted  by  most  other  weed-destroying  birds,  these  birds  render 
a  distinct  and  most  effective  service  to  the  northern  farmer." 
( Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

The  Vesper  Sparrow  (Pocecetes  gramineus  gramineus),  a 
steadily  decreasing  summer  resident  of  our  hayfields,  lives 
chiefly  on  different  injurious  insects  while  it  is  with  us,  the  animal 
proportion  of  its  food  reaching  90  per  cent  in  the  height  of  sum- 
mer. Beetles  and  grasshoppers  are  most  sought  after,  and  next 
to  them  come  "  cutworms,  army  worms,  and  other  smooth  cater- 
pillars that  infest  upland  grass  lands."  "  Its  value  to  the  farmer 
is  beyond  question  and  should  secure  for  it  the  fullest  protection." 
(Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

Regarding  the  Savanna  Sparrow  (Passer  culus  sand- 
wichensis  savanna),  Dr.  Judd  finds  from  the  examination  of  119 
stomachs  that,  "  Their  food  contents  consisted  of  46  per  cent  of 
animal  matter,  insects  and  their  allies,  and  54  per  cent  of  vegeta- 


328  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

ble  matter,  practically  all  seeds.  The  Savanna,  Ipswich,  and 
Grasshopper  Sparrows,  and,  to  a  slighter  degree,  all  other  mem- 
bers of  the  genus  Ammodramus,  are  much  more  highly  in- 
sectivorous than  other  sparrows.  They  take  equal  rank  in  this 
regard  with  such  notable  insect  destroyers  as  the  Catbird,  Robin, 
and  Bluebird.  With  the  Savanna  Sparrow  the  distribution  of 
animal  matter  is  as  follows :  Coleoptera,  15  per  cent;  Lepidoptera, 
9  per  cent;  Orthoptera,  8  per  cent;  Hymenoptera,  5  per  cent; 
Hemiptera,  2  per  cent;  Diptera  and  miscellaneous  insects,  4  per 
cent;  and  spiders,  with  a  few  snails,  3  per  cent. 

"  This  sparrow  appears  to  be  the  greatest  eater  of  beetles  of 
all  the  sparrow  family.  Beetles  constitute  the  most  important 
element  of  its  animal  food,  and  are  eaten  during  every  month  in 
which  stomachs  were  obtained,  though,  of  course,  in  very  small 
quantities  during  the  winter  months." 

"  The  character  of  the  vegetable  food  shows  the  Savanna 
Sparrow  to  be  a  great  consumer  of  grass  seeds.  It  is  not  harmful 
to  grainfields,  however,  as  the  grain  taken  amounts  to  only  about 
I  per  cent  of  the  food,  and  this  consists  almost  entirely  of  waste 
wheat  and  oats.  During  August,  a  month  in  which  birds  ex- 
hibit a  great  liking  for  a  cereal  diet,  a  number  of  Savanna 
Sparrows  were  collected  from  oat  and  barley  fields,  but  their 
stomachs  contained  nothing  but  insects.  Grass  seed,  largely 
pigeon-grass  (Ch&tochloa)  and  panic-grass  (Panicum),  amounts 
to  31  per  cent  of  the  food.  Other  seeds,  mainly  such  weed  seeds 
as  are  taken  by  the  Vesper  Sparrow,  make  up  practically  all  of 
the  remaining  22  per  cent  of  the  vegetable  matter,  the  only  ex- 
ception being  a  few  blueberries  found  in  one  of  the  stomachs. 

"  It  appears  from  this  examination  that  the  Savanna  Sparrow 
is  an  exceedingly  valuable  bird.  During  the  winter,  when  it  is 
most  granivorous,  more  than  half  of  its  food  consists  of  weed 
seeds ;  and  from  May  to  August,  when  it  is  most  insectivorous, 
beneficial  insects  form  only  3  per  cent  of  the  food,  while  insects 
of  the  injurious  class  amount  to  45  per  cent."  (Judd,  "  The 
Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

About  the  Grasshopper  Sparrow  (Ammodramus  savannarum 
australis)  Dr.  Judd  writes,  "  The  Grasshopper  Sparrow  received 
its  name  because  of  the  character  of  its  song,  which  closely  re- 
sembles the  stridulation  of  the  long-horned  grasshopper;  but 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  329 

investigation  of  its  food  habits  has  shown  that,  by  a  curious  coin- 
cidence, the  name  is  fully  as  appropriate  in  consideration  of  its 
diet.  Grasshoppers  (Acrididae  and  Locustidse)  form  almost  one- 
fourth  (23  per  cent)  of  the  food  of  the  eight  months  in  which  the 
170  stomachs  examined  were  collected,  and  60  per  cent  of  the 
food  in  June,  in  which  the  greatest  quantity  of  these  destructive 
insects  is  eaten.  The  genera  Xiphidium,  Scudderia,  Hippiscus, 
and  Melanoplus  are  best  represented. 

"  Among  the  sparrows  of  the  farm  seven  are  preeminently 
grasshopper  destroyers  —  the  Dickcissel,  and  the  Grasshopper, 
Lark,  Vesper,  Chipping,  Song,  and  Field  Sparrows; — and  from 
May  to  August,  inclusive,  the  insect-eating  period,  consume  large 
quantities  of  these  pests.  The  examination  of  stomachs  collected 
during  this  period  shows  that  grasshoppers  form  41  per  cent  of 
the  food  of  the  Dickcissel,  37  per  cent  of  that  of  the  Grasshopper 
Sparrow,  31  per  cent  of  that  of  the  Lark  Sparrow,  23  per  cent  of 
that  of  the  Vesper  Sparrow,  21  per  cent  of  that  of  the  Chipping 
Sparrow,  17  per  cent  of  that  of  the  Song  Sparrow,  and  13  per 
cent  of  that  of  the  Field  Sparrow." 

"  The  vegetable  food  of  the  Grasshopper  Sparrow  is  of  little 
importance  when  compared  with  that  of  other  species.  No  fruit 
was  found  excepting  a  few  blueberries  in  one  of  the  stomachs; 
and  grain,  chiefly  waste,  forms  only  2  per  cent  of  the  food.  Of 
the  seeds,  wood  sorrel  (Oxalis)  composes  2  per  cent  of  the  food; 
ragweed,  5  per  cent;  such  grasses  as  pigeon-grass,  panic-grass, 
and  a  few  others  less  freely  eaten,  17  per  cent ;  and  various  other 
plants  —  polygonums,  purslane,  rib-grass,  and  the  sedges  —  1 1 
per  cent.  The  entire  weed  seed  element,  including  the  seeds  of 
such  grasses  as  are  troublesome  on  the  farm  (7  per  cent  of  the 
total  food) ,  amounts  to  about  one-fourth  of  the  food. 

"  The  Grasshopper  Sparrow  in  particular,  and  the  other 
species  of  the  genus  Ammodramus  in  general,  feed  much  less  on 
vegetable  matter  than  most  other  sparrows.  Insects  form  their 
staple  diet,  and  of  these,  beetles,  grasshoppers,  and  caterpillars 
are  the  most  important.  As  a  destroyer  of  insect  pests  the  Grass- 
hopper Sparrow  is  most  efficient.  It  is  not  only  superior  to  other 
members  of  the  same  genus,  but  is  even  more  efficient  than  such 
valuable  species  as  the  Lark  Sparrow,  Vesper  Sparrow,  and 
Dickcissel ;  and,  both  its  vegetable  and  animal  food  considered,  it 


330  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

seems  to  be  individually  the  most  useful  species  of  bird  whose 
food  habits  have  thus  far  been  investigated.  The  injurious  part 
of  the  food  forms  only  3  per  cent  of  the  whole,  while  the  neutral 
amounts  to  24  per  cent,  and  the  beneficial  to  73  per  cent."  (Judd, 
"  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

The  Sharp-tailed  and  Seaside  Sparrows  (Passer herbulus 
caudacutus  and  maritimus  maritimus) ,  inhabiting  our  salt  marshes 
exclusively,  have  little  effect  on  agriculture  except  as  they  destroy 
the  insect  enemies  of  the  salt  hay.  "  The  examination  of  8 1 
stomachs  of  both  species  indicates  that  2  per  cent  of  the  food 
consists  of  insects  which  probably  exert  a  beneficial  influence  on 
the  salt  hay  crop,  30  per  cent  consists  of  insects  which  are  per- 
haps injurious  to  it,  and  10  per  cent  consists  of  spiders,  concerning 
whose  relation  to  it  there  is  much  doubt.  The  remaining  58  per 
cent  of  the  food  is  made  up  of  approximately  equal  parts  of  in- 
sects and  seeds  of  plants  having  little,  if  any,  relation  to  the  hay 
crop.  The  birds  do  not  prey  on  the  salt-marsh  caterpillars,  so 
destructive  to  the  hay,  and  they  destroy  a  considerable  amount 
of  the  seed  of  the  marsh  grasses,  which  is  probably  an  injurious 
effect.  Thus,  investigation  shows  that  the  two  species  are  ap- 
parently of  little  economic  importance."  (Judd,  "  The  Relation 
of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

Of  the  White-throated  Sparrow  (Zonotrichia  albicollis), 
found  in  flocks  along  our  hedge-rows  in  fall,  Dr.  Judd  speaks  as 
follows :  "  Two  hundred  and  seventeen  stomachs,  collected  dur- 
ing every  month  in  the  year  except  June,  have  been  examined. 
Most  of  these  stomachs  were  collected  in  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, but  a  large  number  came  from  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Georgia, 
and  Texas,  and  some  from  New  Brunswick.  The  food  for  the 
year,  as  a  whole,  as  indicated  by  stomach  contents,  consists  of 
19  per  cent  animal  matter  and  81  per  cent  vegetable  matter.  Of 
the  vegetable  food  3  per  cent  is  grain,  50  per  cent  weed  seed,  and 
the  remainder  chiefly  wild  fruit. 

"  The  insect  food  resembles  that  of  many  other  species  in 
general  character,  but  some  interesting  differences  appear  when 
it  is  viewed  in  detail.  Hymenoptera  constitute  6  per  cent  of  the 
year's  food;  Coleoptera,  5  per  cent;  Heteroptera  and  Diptera, 
taken  together,  3  per  cent;  and  Lepidoptera,  3  per  cent;  the  cus- 
tomary quota  of  spiders,  millipedes,  and  snails  supplying  the 
remaining  2  per  cent  of  animal  food." 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  33! 

"  Some  grass  seed  is  consumed,  principally  seeds  of  such  trou- 
blesome species  as  pigeon-grass,  crab-grass  and  other  panicums, 
and  Johnson  grass.  This  element  forms  about  5  per  cent  of  the 
total  food,  and  is  taken  chiefly  during  September,  when  it  amounts 
to  24  per  cent  of  the  food  of  the  month.  A  little  amaranth  and 
lamb's-quarters  are  eaten ;  and  gromwell,  chickweed,  wood  sorrel, 
sedge,  violet,  and  sheep  sorrel  are  all  represented  in  the  diet. 
But  the  principal  weed  seeds  found  in  the  stomachs  are  those  of 
ragweed  and  different  polygonums.  As  a  destroyer  of  ragweed 
this  sparrow  seems  to  have  no  equal  among  finches,  and  the  Song 
Sparrow  is  its  rival  as  a  consumer  of  polygonums.  The  two 
weeds  form  25  per  cent  of  the  food  for  the  year,  of  which  rag- 
weed furnishes  9  per  cent,  and  the  polgonums  16  per  cent.  Dur- 
ing October  ragweed  alone  constitutes  45  per  cent  of  the  month's 
food. 

"  The  White-throated  Sparrow  may  be  regarded  as  a  valua- 
ble bird  on  the  farm;  it  has  a  good  record  as  a  weed  destroyer, 
its  fruit  eating  is  largely  confined  to  wild  berries,  and  it  does  little 
damage  to  grainfields."  (Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to 
Agriculture.") 

The  Tree  Sparrow  (Spizella  monticola  monticola)  remains 
with  us  all  winter,  gathering  weed  seed  in  the  fields  and  the 
thickets  along  the  brooks.  "  Five  hundred  and  seventeen  stomachs 
have  been  examined,  collected  at  points  ranging  from  Massa- 
chusetts to  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  westward  as  far  as 
Iowa  and  Kansas,  and  during  the  period  from  October  to  May. 
As  indicated  by  these  examinations,  the  food  of  the  Tree  Sparrow 
during  its  stay  in  the  United  States  is  almost  entirely  made  up 
of  seeds,  which  amounts  to  98  per  cent  of  the  total  food  contents 
of  the  stomachs  examined.  The  bird  shows  an  essential  difference 
from  its  associates,  however,  in  its  large  consumption  of  grass 
seed,  fully  half  of  its  food  consisting  of  this  element,  panicums, 
pigeon-grass,  and  allied  grasses  being  apparently  preferred." 
(Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

"  The  Snowbird  (Junco  hy emails}  and  Tree  Sparrow  (Spiz- 
ella monticola)  are  perhaps  the  most  numerous  of  all  sparrows. 
The  latter  fairly  swarms  all  over  tHe  northern  states  in  winter, 
arriving  from  the  north  early  in  October  and  leaving  in  April. 
Examination  of  many  stomachs  shows  that  in  winter  the  Tree 


332  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [BulL 

Sparrow  feeds  entirely  upon  seeds  of  weeds ;  and  probably  each 
bird  consumes  about  one-fourth  of  an  ounce  a  day.  In  an  article 
contributed  to  the  New  York  Tribune  in  1881  the  writer  estimated 
the  amount  of  weed  seed  annually  destroyed  by  these  birds  in 
the  State  of  Iowa.  Upon  the  basis  of  one-fourth  of  an  ounce  of 
seed  eaten  daily  by  each  bird,  and  supposing  that  the  birds 
average  ten  to  each  square  mile,  and  that  they  remain  in  their 
winter  range  two  hundred  days,  we  shall  have  a  total  of  1,750,000 
pounds,  or  875  tons,  of  weed  seed  consumed  by  this  one  species 
in  a  single  season.  Large  as  these  figures  may  seem,  they  cer- 
tainly fall  far  short  of  the  reality.  The  estimate  of  ten  birds  to  a 
square  mile  is  much  within  the  truth,  for  the  Tree  Sparrow  is 
certainly  more  abundant  than  this  in  winter  in  Massachusetts, 
where  the  food  supply  is  less  than  in  the  western  states,  and  I 
have  known  places  in  Iowa  where  several  thousand  could  be 
seen  within  the  space  of  a  few  acres.  This  estimate,  moreover, 
is  for  a  single  species,  while,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  at 
least  half  a  dozen  birds  (not  all  sparrows)  that  habitually  feed 
on  these  seeds  during  winter."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds 
in  their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

In  the  summer  the  Chipping  and  Field  Sparrows  (Spisella 
passerina  passerina  and  Spisella  pusilla)  take  the  place  of  the 
Tree  Sparrows,  and  eat  also  large  numbers  of  noxious  insects. 
The  former  is  known  to  eat  the  cankerworm,  horse-tail  moth, 
gypsy  moth,  army  worm,  forest  tent  caterpillar,  cabbage  worm, 
and  pea  louse. 

Of  the  Chipping  Sparrow  Dr.  Judd  writes,  "  Two  hundred 
and  fifty  stomachs  have  been  examined,  collected  from  March  to 
November,  and  throughout  the  country  both  in  the  East  and 
West,  principally,  however,  from  New  England  to  Virginia,  and 
from  the  states  of  Kansas,  Iowa,  Illinois,  and  California,  the 
greater  part  of  the  western  Chipping  Sparrows  coming  from  the 
last  named  state.  More  collections  were  made  in  the  summer 
and  early  autumn  than  at  any  other  season.  Of  the  contents  of 
these  stomachs  the  total  animal  food,  consisting  of  insects  with 
an  occasional  spider,  amounts  to  38  per  cent;  the  vegetable  food 
to  62  per  cent.  Of  the  vegetable  food,  4  per  cent  is  grain,  prin- 
cipally oats ;  48  per  cent  grass  seed ;  and  10  per  cent  other  seeds, 
such  as  clover,  ragweed,  amaranth,  wood  sorrel,  lamb's-quarters, 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  333 

purslane,  chickweed,  knotweed,  and  black  bindweed.  Twenty- 
six  per  cent  of  the  grass  seed  is  crab-grass  and  pigeon-grass, 
chiefly  the  former,  the  rest  consisting  of  timothy,  orchard  grass, 
and  other  grasses.  The  seeds  of  crab-grass,  whenever  they  can 
be  obtained,  form  the  most  important  part  of  the  diet.  During 
the  last  of  August  there  were  collected  a  dozen  Chipping  Spar- 
rows that  were  feeding  in  a  flock  amid  some  crab-grass  and  other 
weeds  which  were  getting  the  upper  hand  in  a  small  garden,  about 
an  acre  in  extent;  and  it  was  found  that  the  stomach  of  every 
one  of  the  birds  was  crammed  full  of  the  seeds  of  crab-grass." 

Regarding  the  Field  Sparrow  Dr.  Judd  says :  "  The  labora- 
tory investigation  includes  175  stomachs  collected  during  every 
month  of  the  year,  from  15  states  and  the  District  of  Columbia, 
chiefly  in  New  York,  Massachusetts,  and  the  District  of  Columbia 
in  the  East,  and  Kansas  and  Wyoming  in  the  West.  Of  the  total 
food  they  contained  41  per  cent  was  animal  matter  and  59  per 
cent  vegetable  matter.  Of  the  animal  material,  weevils  form  2 
per  cent;  leaf  beetles,  2  per  cent;  ground,  tiger,  click,  and  May 
beetles,  collectively,  9  per  cent ;  caterpillars,  4  per  cent ;  grass- 
hoppers, 6  per  cent ;  leaf-hoppers,  true  bugs,  saw-flies,  ants,  flies, 
and  spiders,  taken  together,  14  per  cent;  and  parasitic  wasps, 
4  per  cent.  This  last  item  is  the  principal  point  wherein  the  Field 
Sparrow  differs  in  food  habits  from  the  Chipping  Sparrow  —  a 
difference  that  is  not  to  the  advantage  of  the  record  of  the  species 
from  an  economic  standpoint,  since,  as  has  been  shown,  these 
wasps  are  dangerous  parasites  of  many  caterpillars.  Of  the 
vegetable  food  51  per  cent  consists  of  the  seed  of  grasses,  for 
the  most  part  such  species  as  crab-grass  and  other  panicums, 
pigeon-grass,  broom  sedge,  poverty  grass  (Aristida),  and  sheathed 
rush  grass.  Seeds  of  such  weeds  as  chickweed,  lamb's-quarters, 
gromwell,  amaranth,  purslane,  spurge,  wood  sorrel,  and  knot- 
weed  amount  to  4  per  cent.  The  percentage  of  timothy  is  insig- 
nificant, but  that  of  oats  is  comparatively  large,  as  they  consti- 
tute 4  per  cent  of  the  food."  (Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows 
to  Agriculture.") 

The  Slate-colored  Junco  (Junco  hy emails  hyemalis),  some- 
times called  the  Black  Snowbird,  is  another  of  our  winter  birds 
that  industriously  collect  weed  seed  from  field  and  garden.  "  The 
food  habits  of  the  Junco  are  such  as  commend  it  highly  to  the 


334  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

farmer.  An  examination  has  been  made  of  299  stomachs  collected 
during  every  month  in  the  year  except  May.  They  were  secured 
chiefly  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  but  a  fairly  large  number  were 
obtained  in  the  central  part  of  the  country  and  California. 

"  The  food  for  the  year,  as  a  whole,  as  indicated  by  these 
stomachs,  consists  of  animal  matter  22  per  cent  and  vegetable 
matter  78  per  cent.  The  animal  matter  is  distributed  as  follows : 
Orthoptera  and  Lepidoptera,  each  2  per  cent;  Hymenoptera,  3 
per  cent;  Coleoptera,  6  per  cent;  miscellaneous  insects,  largely 
Hemiptera,  7  per  cent;  and  spiders,  with  a  few  snails  and  other 
invertebrates,  2  per  cent." 

"  When  the  bird  migrates  to  fertile  districts  and  extends  over 
the  whole  of  the  United  States  in  autumn  to  remain  until  spring, 
it  becomes  a  most  important  and  useful  bird.  The  animal  food 
at  this  time,  which  is  of  the  usual  character,  is  too  small  to  be 
important.  The  vegetable  food,  which  constitutes  91  per  cent  of 
the  diet,  may  be  conveniently  divided  into  three  nearly  equal  parts ; 
the  first  of  which  is  largely  timothy,  broom  sedge,  sheathed  rush 
grass,  pigeon-grass,  crab-grass  and  other  panicums,  paspalum, 
and  a  small  quantity  of  grain ;  the  second  comprises  ragweed  and 
polygonums;  and  the  third  includes  the  seeds  of  various  plants 
the  majority  of  which  are  such  weeds  as  amaranth,  lamb's-quar- 
ters,  chickweed,  purslane,  tick-trefoil,  vetch,  gromwell,  wood  sor- 
rel, sedge,  sheep  sorrel,  wild  sunflower,  and  Russian  thistle.  The 
seeds  of  amaranth  and  lamb's-quarters  are  by  far  the  most  im- 
portant in  the  diet.  Few  other  sparrows  eat  as  many  of  these 
seeds  as  the  Junco,  which  feeds  on  them  chiefly  in  March,  when, 
doubtless,  other  and  more  palatable  seeds  are  too  scarce  to  be 
easily  obtained. 

"  The  effect  of  the  Junco  during  its  stay  on  agricultural  land 
is  that  of  an  unmixed  benefit,  because  the  good  done  by  its  ex- 
tensive consumption  of  weed  seeds  is  not  counterbalanced  by  any 
real  harm;  even  the  slight  tendency  toward  eating  grain  is  prac- 
tically harmless,  since  most  of  the  grain  eaten  consists  of  waste 
kernels."  (Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to  Agriculture.") 

The  Song  Sparrow  (Melospiza  melodia  melodia)  is  in  the 
summer  the  most  abundant  of  our  sparrows,  and  some  remain 
with  us  throughout  the  year.  "  Its  food,  as  indicated  by  the 
examination  of  401  stomachs  from  26  States  and  British  Colum- 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  335 

bia,  collected  during  every  month  of  the  year,  consists  of  animal 
matter,  insects  with  occasionally  a  spider  or  snail,  34  per  cent; 
and  vegetable  matter,  mostly  seeds,  66  per  cent."- 

"  Of  the  vegetable  portion  (66  per  cent)  of  the  year's  food, 
3  per  cent  consists  of  ragweed,  5  per  cent  of  grain,  16  per  cent 
of  polygonum  and  related  seeds,  24  per  cent  of  grass  seed,  and 
18  per  cent  of  miscellaneous  seeds,  such  as  those  of  wild  sun- 
flower, amaranth,  lamb's-quarters,  clover,  gromwell,  rib-grass, 
wild  solanum,  purslane,  spurge,  wood  sorrel,  dandelion,  chick- 
weed,  dock,  and  sheep  sorrel.  The  last  two  are  seldom  eaten  by 
most  other  birds.  More  polygonum  seed  is  taken  by  the  Song 
Sparrow  than  by  any  other  sparrow,  largely  because  most  polygo- 
nums  grow  in  moist  places  where  Song  Sparrows  are  often 
very  abundant.  Several  species  of  polygonums  are  weed  pests 
on  low  ground,  and  much  good  is  done  by  the  systematic  de- 
struction of  their  seeds  by  the  Song  Sparrow  during  every  month 
in  the  year.  More  than  half  the  grass-seed  food  belongs  to  such 
troublesome  species  as  crab-grass  and  pigeon-grass.  The  bird 
is  so  numerous  that  it  must  destroy  large  quantities  of  these 
weeds.  The  seeds  of  other  grasses,  such  as  timothy,  paspalum, 
old-witch  grass,  barnyard  grass,  tall  smooth  panicum,  spreading 
panicum,  beard  grass  (Andropogon),  orchard  grass,  sheathed 
rush  grass,  wild  rye,  wild  rice,  and  others,  form  about  8  per  cent 
of  the  food. 

"  The  Song  Sparrow,  like  the  White-throated,  White-crowned, 
and  Fox  Sparrows,  manifests  a  taste  for  fruit,  especially  during 
July,  when  blackberries,  raspberries,  strawberries,  blueberries, 
mulberries,  and  wild  black  cherries  are  eaten  to  the  extent  of 
nearly  8  per  cent  of  the  food.  This  diet  is  largely  abandoned  when 
the  weed-seed  harvest  is  mature,  though  the  bird  occasionally  feeds 
with  others  on  the  ripening  crop  of  wild  fruits  during  late  sum- 
mer and  autumn.  It  has  been  observed  eating  elderberries,  wild 
grapes,  pokeberries,  bayberries,  and  berries  of  the  woodbine ;  but, 
in  spite  of  this  taste  and  the  bird's  abundance  among  cultivated 
berry  patches,  it  never,  to  any  appreciable  extent,  does  any  dam- 
age to  cultivated  fruit. 

"  Insects  amount  to  about  one-third  of  the  animal  diet,  and 
from  May  to  August,  inclusive,  when  they  are  eaten  most  freely, 
compose  more  than  half  the  food." 


336  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

"  Taking  the  food  habits  of  the  Song  Sparrow  as  a  whole, 
it  will  be  readily  seen  that  this  bird  does  much  more  good  than 
harm  and  is  worthy  of  protection  and  encouragement.  Only  2 
per  cent  of  the  food  consists  of  useful  insects,  while  18  per  cent 
is  composed  of  injurious  insects;  and  grain,  largely  waste, 
amounts  to  only  4  per  cent,  while  the  seeds  of  various  species 
of  weeds  constitute  50  per  cent."  ( Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Spar- 
rows to  Agriculture.") 

The  food  of  the  Lincoln's  and  Swamp  Sparrows  (Melospiza 
lincolni  lincolni  and  georgiana)  resembles  that  of  the  Song 
Sparrow,  as  does  that  of  the  White-crowned  (Zonotrichia 
leucophrys  leucophrys)  that  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow. 

The  food  of  the  Fox  Sparrow  (Passer ella  iliaca  iliaca),  a 
common  migrant,  "  as  indicated  by  the  examination  of  127 
stomachs,  collected  principally  in  the  eastern  states,  and  during 
every  month  excepting  June,  July,  and  August,  consists  of  animal 
matter  14  per  cent,  and  vegetable  matter  86  per  cent.  The  animal 
food  is  of  little  interest  excepting  in  the  month  of  April,  when 
the  bird  begins  eating  largely  of  millepeds  of  the  Julus  group  — 
20  per  cent  of  the  food  for  the  month  consisting  of  these  inverte- 
brates,—  and  at  the  same  time  develops  such  a  taste  for  ground 
beetles  as  to  raise  this  item  of  its  month's  diet  to  10  per  cent. 
The  quantity  of  these  useful  insects  destroyed  during  the  summer, 
when  the  bird  is  in  its  home  in  the  far  north,  is  probably  much 
less. 

"  The  vegetable  food  differs  from  that  of  most  other  sparrows, 
in  that  it  contains  less  grass  seed  (only  I  per  cent),  less  grain, 
and  more  fruit,  ragweed,  and  polygonum.  Half  of  the  food  con- 
sists of  ragweed  and  polygonum,  and  more  than  a  quarter  of  fruit. 
In  its  dependence  on  fruit  the  Fox  Sparrow  resembles  the  White- 
throated  Sparrow.  It  does  no  direct  damage  to  cultivated  fruit, 
though  it  occasionally  eats  the  buds  of  peach  trees  and  pear  trees. 
Bradford  Torrey  has  observed  it  feeding  on  the  fruit  of  burning 
bush  (Euonymus  am  eric  ana) .  C.  K.  Averill,  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
reports  that  he  has  found  it  eating  the  berries  of  the  red  cedar 
(Juniperus  mrginiana),  and  James  H.  Gaut,  of  the  Biological 
Survey,  says  that  he  has  seen  it  feeding  on  pokeberries  in  Novem- 
ber in  Washington. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  337 

"  But,  although  28  per  cent  of  the  food  contents  of  the 
stomachs  examined  consisted  of  the  seeds  of  berries  and  of  fruit 
skin,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  barely  a  third  of  this  percentage  repre- 
sents actual  fruit  destruction,  and  that  the  remaining  two-thirds 
of  the  seeds  were  eaten  after  the  pulp  of  the  fruit  had  been  re^ 
moved  by  other  agents."  ( Judd,  "  The  Relation  of  Sparrows  to 
Agriculture.") 

In  the  stomach  of  a  Towhee  (Pipilo  erythrophthalm-us 
erythrophthalmus)  were  found  "  a  locust,  a  mining  beetle,  a 
weevil,  a  ground  beetle,  a  bug,  a  cricket,  6  ants,  and  the  remains 
of  broken  seeds  "  (Judd,  "  Birds  of  a  Maryland  Farm  ").  "  Its 
food  consists  of  small  seeds,  grains,  and  fruits,  as  well  as  many 
insects ;  among  the  latter  are  included  moths,  beetles,  ants,  wasps 
and  ichneumon-flies,  cockroaches,  grasshoppers,  walking-sticks 
and  their  eggs,  besides  larvse  of  many  kinds.  The  young  are  fed 
upon  insects  similar  to  those  eaten  by  the  adults."  (Weed  and 
Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Man.") 

Regarding  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  (Zamelodia  ludovi- 
ciana) ,  Professor  Beal  says :  "  When  the  Colorado  potato  beetle 
first  swept  over  the  land,  and  naturalists  and  farmers  were 
anxious  to  discover  whether  or  not  there  were  any  enemies  which 
would  prey  upon  the  pest,  the  Grosbeak  was  almost  the  only 
bird  seen  to  eat  the  beetles.  Further  observation  confirmed  the 
fact,  and  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  where  the  bird 
is  abundant  it  has  contributed  very  much  to  the  abatement  of 
the  pest  which  has  been  noted  during  the  last  decade.  But  this 
is  not  the  only  good  which  the  bird  does,  for  many  other  noxious 
insects  besides  the  potato  beetle  are  also  eaten. 

"  The  vegetable  food  of  the  Grosbeak  consists  of  buds 
and  blossoms  of  forest  trees,  and  seeds,  but  the  only  damage  of 
which  it  has  been  accused  is  the  stealing  of  green  peas.  The 
writer  has  observed  it  eating  peas,  and  has  examined  the  stomachs 
of  several  that  had  been  killed  in  the  very  act.  The  stomachs 
contained  a  few  peas  and  enough  potato  beetles,  old  and  young, 
as  well  as  other  harmful  insects,  to  pay  for  all  the  peas  the  birds 
would  be  likely  to  eat  in  a  whole  season.  The  garden  where  this 
took  place  adjoined  a  small  potato  field  which  earlier  in  the  season 
had  been  so  badly  infested  with  the  beetles  that  the  vines  were 
completely  riddled.  The  Grosbeaks  visited  the  field  every  day, 
22 


CONNECTICUT    GEOLr.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

and  finally  brought  their  fledged  young.  The  young  birds  stood 
in  a  row  on  the  topmost  rail  of  the  fence,  and  were  fed  with  the 
beetles  which  their  parents  gathered.  When  a  careful  inspection 
was  made  a  few  days  later,  not  a  beetle,  old  or  young,  could  be 
found;  the  birds  had  swept  them  from  the  field  and  saved -the 
potatoes. 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  advise  measures  either  for  increasing  the 
numbers  of  this  bird  or  inducing  it  to  take  up  its  residence  on 
the  farm.  Naturally  it  inhabits  thin,  open  woods  or  groves,  and 
the  change  from  such  places  to  orchards  would  be  simple  —  in 
fact,  has  already  been  made  in  some  parts  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio.  In  New  England  the  bird  is  somewhat  rare,  and  perhaps 
the  best  that  can  be  done  here  or  elsewhere  is  to  see  that  it  is 
thoroughly  protected."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in  their 
Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

TANAGERS. 
Tangaridce. 

The  Scarlet  Tanager  (Piranga  erythromelas)  is  known  occa- 
sionally to  take  fruit,  but  this  only  incidentally.  Those  taken  in 
May  and  August,  Dr.  Judd  writes,  have  fed  exclusively  on  insects. 
"  Its  food  consists  mostly  of  insects  of  which  it  takes  a  varied 
assortment.  The  stomachs  of  various  specimens  have  been  found 
to  contain  ants,  ichneumon-flies,  including  what  was  thought  to 
be  the  large  Thalessa  lunator,  many  caterpillars,  crane-flies  and 
other  Diptera,  curculios,  click  beetles,  leaf  chafers,  and  various 
other  beetles,  grasshoppers,  a  few  bugs,  an  occasional  dragon-fly 
or  spider,  and  several  harvest  spiders.  A  single  Nebraska  speci- 
men shot  in  the  autumn  of  1874  contained  thirty-seven  locusts. 
Three  nestlings  less  than  a  week  old,  examined  by  Professor 
King,  had  eaten  four  caterpillars,  one  fly,  one  small  grasshopper, 
one  bug,  besides  undetermined  fragments."  (Weed  and  Dear- 
born, "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Man.") 

SWALLOWS. 
Hirundinidce. 

The  Swallows,  among  which  the  Purple  Martin  (Progne 
subis  subis)  is  included,  are  all  strictly  insectivorous  and  may  be 
discussed  together. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  339 

"  Field  observation  will  convince  any  ordinarily  attentive  per- 
son that  the  food  of  swallows  must  consist  of  the  smaller  insects 
captured  in  mid-air,  or  perhaps  in  some  cases  picked  from  the 
tops  of  tall  grass  or  weeds.  This  observation  is  borne  out  by 
an  examination  of  stomachs,  which  shows  that  the  food  consists 
of  many  small  species  of  beetles  which  are  much  on  the  wing, 
many  species  of  Diptera  (mosquitoes  and  their  allies),  with  large 
quantities  of  flying  ants,  and  a  few  insects  of  similar  kinds. 
Most  of  them  are  either  injurious  or  annoying,  and  the  numbers 
destroyed  by  swallows  are  not  only  beyond  calculation,  but  al- 
most beyond  imagination. 

"  The  White-bellied  Swallow  eats  a  considerable  number  of 
berries  of  the  bayberry,  or  wax  myrtle.  During  migrations  and 
in  winter  it  has  a  habit  of  roosting  in  these  shrubs  and  it  probably 
obtains  the  fruit  at  that  time."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in 
their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

"  Thirty  swallows,  collected  between  the  middle  of  May  and 
the  middle  of  August,  had  eaten  nothing  but  insects.  Parasitic 
wasps  and  bees  formed  2  per  cent  of  their  food  (less  than  usual 
with  aerial  feeders),  bugs  3  per  cent,  May-flies  8  per  cent,  beetles 
13  per  cent,  white  ants  21  per  cent,  ants  33  per  cent,  and  mis- 
cellaneous insects,  principally  flies  with  a  few  bugs,  20  per  cent. 
The  forms  selected  were  bees  of  the  family  Andrenidse,  and 
parasitic  wasps  of  the  families  Scoliidae,  Ichneumonidse,  and 
Chalcididse.  The  beetle  food  was  interesting,  for,  besides  click 
beetles,  dung  beetles  (Aphodius  inquinatus,  Hister,  Atcenius,  and 
Onthophagus  pennsylvanicus) ,  weevils  of  several  species,  and 
metallic  wood-borers  (Agrilus),  it  included  the  engraver  beetles 
(among  them  Tomicus  cacographus),  which  are  destroyed  by 
only  a  few  other  birds.  The  food  of  Swallows  is  peculiar  in  its 
lack  of  caterpillars  and  grasshoppers,  which  are  so  important 
to  the  subsistence  of  other  birds.  As  with  Flycatchers,  the 
number  of  flies  taken  is  generally  overestimated.  In  the  stomachs 
examined  were  found  snipe-flies  (Leptidce),  golden-green  flesh- 
flies  (Lucilia  ccusar),  and  other  Muscidae,  with  an  occasional 
banded-winged  horsefly  (Chrysops)"  (Judd,  "  Birds  of  a  Mary- 
land Farm.")  During  a  "  locust  year  "  in  Nebraska  34  and  37 
locusts  have  been  taken  from  the  stomachs  of  two  Barn  Swallows 
(Hirundo  erythrogastra) ,  and  229  from  six  Cliff  or  Eave  Swal- 


34O  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

lows  (Petrochelidon  lunifrons  lunifrons).  The  Tree  or  White- 
bellied  Swallows  (Iridoprocne  bicolor)  collect  on  our  salt 
marshes  in  enormous  flocks  in  late  summer,  and  as  they  skim 
back  and  forth  over  the  shallow  pools  do  what  is  possible  to 
lessen  the  plague  of  mosquitoes.  With  them  associate  smaller 
numbers  of  Bank  Swallows  (Riparia  riparia),  and  join  in  the 
hunt  for  flying  insects  of  all  kinds.  Messrs.  Weed  and  Dearborn 
state  that  ten  Purple  Martins  (Progne  subis  subis)  examined 
by  Professor  Aughey  in  Kansas  had  eaten  265  locusts,  besides  161 
other  insects.  This  bird  is  said  to  kill  a  few  honey-bees,  but  this 
must  be  forgiven  it  for  its  good  qualities. 

WAXWINGS. 
Bombycillidce. 

The  Cedar  Waxwing  (Bomby cilia  cedrorum)  is  a  capital  fly- 
catcher, darting  from  a  twig  and  seizing  insects  in  the  air  with 
the  skill  of  a  Kingbird.  The  stomachs  of  seven  shot  in  an  orchard 
infested  with  cankerworms  were  found  by  Professor  Forbes  to 
contain  over  100. worms  apiece,  and  they  are  said  also  to  feed 
freely  on  the  elm-tree  beetle.  "  Its  proverbial  fondness  for  cherries 
has  given  rise  to  its  popular  name,  and  much  complaint  has  been 
made  on  account  of  the  fruit  eaten.  Observation  has  shown, 
however,  that  its  depredations  are  confined  to  trees  on  which  the 
fruit  ripens  earliest,  while  later  varieties  are  comparatively  un- 
touched. This  is  probably  owing  to  the  fact  that,  when  wild 
fruits  ripen,  they  are  preferred  to  cherries,  and  really  constitute 
the  bulk  of  the  Cedar  Bird's  diet. 

"  In  152  stomachs  examined  animal  matter  formed  only  13, 
and  vegetable  87  per  cent,  showing  that  the  bird  is  not  wholly  a 
fruit  eater.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  snails,  all  the  animal 
food  consisted  of  insects,  mainly  beetles,  and  all  but  one  more 
or  less  noxious,  the  famous  elm  leaf  beetle  being  among  the  num- 
ber. Bark  or  scale  lice  were  found  in  several  stomachs,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  animal  food  was  made  up  of  grasshoppers, 
bugs,  and  the  like.  Three  nestlings  were  found  to  have  been  fed 
almost  entirely  on  insects. 

"  Of  the  87  per  cent  of  vegetable  food,  74  consisted  entirely 
of  wild  fruit  or  seeds,  and  13  of  cultivated  fruit,  but  a  large  part 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  341 

of  the  latter  was  made  up  of  blackberries  and  raspberries,  and 
it  is  very  doubtful  whether  they  represented  cultivated  varieties. 
Cherry  stealing  is  the  chief  complaint  against  this  bird;  but  of 
the  152  stomachs  only  9,  all  taken  in  June  and  July,  contained 
any  remains  of  cultivated  cherries,  and  these  aggregate  but  5 
per  cent  of  the  year's  food.  As  41  stomachs  were  collected  in 
those  months,  it  is  evident  that  the  birds  do  not  live  to  any  great 
extent  on  cultivated  cherries. 

"  Although  the  cherry  bird  is  not  a  great  insect  destroyer, 
it  does  some  good  work  in  this  way,  since  it  probably  rears  its 
young  mostly  upon  insect  food.  On  the  other  hand,  it  does  not 
devour  nearly  as  much  cultivated  fruit  as  has  been  asserted,  and 
most  if  not  all  of  the  damage  can  be  prevented.  The  bird  should 
therefore  be  considered  a  useful  species,  and  as  such  should  be 
accorded  all  possible  protection."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds 
in  their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

SHRIKES. 
Laniidce. 

The  only  Shrike  at  all  common  with  us  is  the  Northern 
Shrike  or  Butcher-bird  (Lanius  borealis),  and  that  occurs  only 
in  winter.  The  Migrant  Shrike  (Lanius  ludomcianus  migrans), 
a  variety  of  the  Loggerhead,  is  known  only  as  a  rather  rare 
migrant.  The  name  Butcher-bird  comes  from  the  habit  these 
birds  have  of  impaling  their  prey  —  mice,  grasshoppers,  or  small 
birds  —  on  a  thorn  or  a  sharp  twig  of  a  tree.  "  The  food  habits 
of  the  Shrikes,  so  far  as  determined  from  the  examination  of 
155  stomachs,  collected  during  every  month  of  the  year,  from 
Saskatchewan  to  Florida  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  are 
very  similar  to  those  of  the  Sparrow  Hawk;  that  is  to  say,  the 
food  consists  of  mice,  small  birds,  and  insects,  the  latter  mainly 
grasshoppers.  Both  birds  are  much  less  insectivorous  in  cold 
than  in  warm  weather  —  the  oncoming  of  winter  and  consequent 
increasing  scarcity  of  insects  necessitating  a  change  in  food. 

"  In  discussing  the  insectivorous  habits  of  the  Shrike,  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  state  that  the  destruction  of  grasshoppers  is 
a  great  service  to  the  farmer.  The  Shrike  also  devours  a  large 
number  of  beetles,  and  often  eats  caterpillars,  wasps,  and  spiders. 
Since  it  takes  practically  no  vegetable  food,  it  cannot  injure  crops. 


342  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

unless  indirectly,  by  killing  birds  and  insects  that  prey  upon 
insect  pests.  The  birds  selected,  however,  are  for  the  most  part 
seed  eaters,  and  consequently  less  valuable  than  the  insectivorous 
kinds;  and,  if  it  be  granted  that, the  harm  done  by  destruction 
of  one  of  these  birds  is  counterbalanced  by  the  killing  of  one 
mouse,  then  it  follows  that  the  harm  done  by  the  Shrike  in  killing 
birds  is  completely  offset.  Furthermore,  the  attacks  of  the 
Shrike  are  often  directed  against  the  English  Sparrow,  now  so 
obnoxious  in  many  parts  of  the  United  States.  Concerning  the 
insect  food,  it  may  be  safely  stated  that  the  percentage  of  noxious 
grasshoppers  is  four  times  as  great  as  that  of  the  useful  ground 
beetles. 

"  In  considering  the  relation  of  the  Shrikes  to  agriculture,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  one  inhabits  a  fertile  country  where 
cultivation  yields  heavy  crops,  while  the  other  lives  in  a  northern 
region  where  agriculture  amounts  to  very  little.  Therefore,  the 
good  or  harm  done  by  the  Northern  Butcher-bird  must  be  mainly 
accomplished  when  it  migrates  south  into  the  United  States. 
From  the  present  limited  investigation,  it  appears  that  the  bene- 
ficial qualities  of  both  Shrikes  outweigh  the  injurious.  Further- 
more, it  is  probable  that  when  it  is  possible  to  study  the  summer 
food  habits  of  the  Butcher-bird,  this  species,  like  its  southern 
relative,  the  Loggerhead,  will  be  found  to  be  a  destroyer  of 
quantities  of  grasshoppers  and  other  noxious  insects."  (Judd, 
"  The  Food  of  Shrikes.") 

The  Northern  Shrike  during  its  winter  sojourn  "  renders  a 
threefold  service  by  killing  grasshoppers,  English  Sparrows,  and 
mice.  The  birds  and  mice  together  amount  to  60  per  cent,  and 
insects  to  40  per  cent,  of  the  food  from  October  to  April.  Grass- 
hoppers constitute  one-fourth  of  the  food,  and  are  equal  to  twice 
the  combined  amounts  of  beetles  and  caterpillars. 

"  Apparently  no  mineral  or  vegetable  matter  is  intentionally 
swallowed.  Indeed,  its  exclusively  animal  diet  makes  it,  prac- 
tically, a  bird  of  prey,  and  therefore  we  must  consider  what 
animals  it  destroys. 

"  The  Chippewa  Indians  call  this  Shrike  '  big  cannibal  bird,' 
and  several  instances  of  cannibalism  are  recorded.  In  one  case 
a  hungry  Butcher-bird  pounced  upon  and  carried  off  his  com- 
panion, which  had  been  shot  and  laid  on  the  top  of  a  log  cabin. 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  343 

The  Butcher-bird,  when  impelled  by  extreme  hunger,  becomes 
very  bold,  and  has  been  known  to  enter  a  room  and  decapitate  a 
caged  canary. 

"  In  the  stomachs  of  the  67  Butcher-birds  examined,  28  species 
of  seed-eating  birds  were  found.  Of  these  3  were  Tree  Spar- 
rows, 5  Juncos,  and  7  English  Sparrows ;  the  others  could  not  be 
named  with  certainty.  The  Tree  Sparrows  and  Juncos  were 
found  in  Shrikes  that  had  been  taken  in  rural  districts.  On  the 
other  hand,  English  Sparrows  were  found  only  in  stomachs  of 
birds  that  had  been  collected  in  cities. 

"  In  speaking  of  the  enemies  of  the  English  Sparrow,  Pro- 
fessor W.  B.  Barrows  says : 

"  '  Probably  the  most  useful  bird  in  this  respect  is  the  Northern 
Shrike  (Lanius  borealis),  which  visits  most  of  our  northern 
cities  in  winter  and  feeds  freely  on  the  sparrow.  At  one  time 
this  Shrike  became  so  abundant  on  the  Common  and  public  parks 
in  Boston  that  it  threatened  to  destroy  all  the  sparrows,  but  the 
short-sighted  authorities  kept  a  man  busy  shooting  the  Shrikes, 
until  several  dozen  had  been  killed,  and  the  useless  sparrows  were 
considered  safe.' 

"It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  other  cities  this  enemy  of  the  spar- 
row will  be  protected  instead  of  persecuted.  If  there  were  six 
Butcher-birds  in  each  of  20  New  England  cities,  and  each  Butcher- 
bird killed  one  sparrow  a  day  for  the  three  winter  months,  the  re- 
sult would  be  a  removal  of  10,800  sparrows.  Since  two  sparrows 
could  raise  under  favorable  conditions  four  broods  of  five  each, 
the  increase  would  be  tenfold,  so  that  those  destroyed  by  the 
Butcher-birds,  if  allowed  to  live,  would  have  amounted  at  the 
end  of  the  first  year  to  118,800,  and  at  the  end  of  the  second  year 
to  1,306,800  individuals." 

"  Mice  were  found  in  one-third  of  the  stomachs  examined, 
constituting  one-fourth  of  the  food,  and  were  eaten  most  fre- 
quently in  March.  Of  these  mice  15  were  identified  as  follows: 
i  white- footed  mouse  (Peromyscus),  I  harvest  mouse  (Reith- 
rodontomys),  and  8  meadow  mice  (Microtus)." 

"  Active  insects  are  much  more  liable  than  sluggish  ones  to 
fall  victims  to  the  Butcher-bird,  because  objects  which  at  rest 
cannot  be  discriminated  are  instantly  seen  when  moving.  Thus 
it  happens  that  flying  grasshoppers  and  running  beetles  form  a 


344  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

large  proportion  of  the  food  of  this  bird.  Grasshoppers  and 
crickets  (Orthoptera),  which  are  eaten  during  every  month  from 
October  to  April,  form  24  per  cent  of  the  total  volume  of  food, 
and  for  October  and  November  together  these  insect  pests  form 
more  than  half  of  the  food."  ( Judd,  "  The  Food  of  Shrikes.") 

Dr.  Judd  gives  a  list  of  17  species  of  our  small  birds  that  this 
Shrike  has  been  known  to  kill. 

Of  the  stomachs  of  9  Northern  Shrikes  taken  in  Connecticut 
between  November  6th  and  March  ist,  examined  by  the  author, 

I  contained  a  mammal ;  4,  birds ;  4,  insects,  chiefly  grasshoppers ; 
and  i,  feathers  and  seeds. 

By  the  Loggerhead  Shrike,  of  which  our  Migrant  Shrike  is 
a  subspecies,  13  species  of  birds  have  been  known  to  be  killed;  but 
the  studies  of  the  Biological  Survey  show  that  birds  constitute  a 
smaller  proportion  of  its  food  than  they  do  of  its  larger  relative, 
its  diet  being  chiefly  insects.  Of  the  stomachs  of  5  Connecticut 
specimens  of  the  Migrant  Shrike  taken  between  Oct.  2  and 
Feb.  15,  examined  by  the  author,  i  contained  a  bird;  4,  grass- 
hoppers; and  i,  beetles. 

VIREOS. 
Vireonidce. 

Insects  in  form  of  egg,  larva,  pupa,  or  adult  are  the  proper 
food  of  the  Vireos,  and  are  sought  for  industriously  by  them 
over  the  branches  and  under  the  leaves  of  our  trees  during  the 
months  they  are  with  us.  "  Twenty-five  Vireos  were  collected, 
including  2  Warbling  Vireos  (Vireo  gilvus},  10  White-eyed 
Vireos  (Vireo  novel)  or  acensis) ,  and  13  Red-eyed  Vireos  (Vireo 
olivaceus) .  Ninety-one  per  cent  of  their  food  consisted  of  insects, 
and  9  per  cent  of  fruit  (mulberries  and  sassafras).  Parasitic 
wasps  formed  2  per  cent,  ants  and  other  Hymenoptera  6  per  cent, 
May-flies  4  per  cent,  caterpillars  15  per  cent,  bugs  17  per  cent, 
beetles  28  per  cent,  miscellaneous  insects  8  per  cent,  and  spiders 

II  per  cent.    The  Hymenoptera,  other  than  ants,  comprised  joint- 
worm  flies,  sawfly  larvae,  ichneumon  flies,  and  bees  of  the  genus 
Halictus." 

"  The  bugs  were  stink-bugs  (Podisus),  leaf  -hoppers  (Jassidae), 
and  scale  insects  (Kermes).  The  Yellow-throated  Vireo  (Vireo 
flavifrons)  has  been  noted  at  Marshall  Hall  by  Mr.  William 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  345 

Palmer.  All  the  Vireos  are  very  useful  protectors  of  forest  and 
fruit  trees."  (Judd,  "  Birds  of  a  Maryland  Farm.") 

Insects  of  many  kinds  are  given  to  the  young  and  occasionally 
raspberries  and  blackberries.  They  are  among  our  most  useful 
birds. 

Red-eyed  Vireo  ( Vireosylva  olivacea) . — "  From  the  stomachs 
of  eighteen  of  this  species  were  taken  fifteen  caterpillars;  five 
other  larvae;  eight  beetles  —  among  them  five  weevils,  one  long- 
horn  and  one  darkling  beetle;  seventy  heteropterous  insects  — 
among  them  sixty-seven  chinch-bugs;  sixteen  winged  ants;  one 
ichneumon;  five  dragon-flies;  two  dipterous  insects  —  one  of 
them  Tabanus  atratus;  and  seven  dogwood  berries.  Of  thirty- 
six  other  specimens  examined,  fifteen  had  eaten  caterpillars;  two, 
other  larvae;  nine,  beetles  —  among  them  two  Coccinella  mali; 
three,  grasshoppers;  two,  ants;  two,  moths;  four,  insects  none  of 
which  were  identified;  and  seven,  fruit  or  seeds,  among  which 
were  raspberries,  dogwood  berries,  berries  of  prickly  ash,  and 
sheep  berries." 

Yellow-throated  Vireo  (Lanivireo  flavifrons') . —  "  Of  twenty- 
one  specimens  examined,  seven  had  eaten  caterpillars  —  among 
them  geometers;  seven,  beetles — among  them  weevils  and  a 
buprestis;  three,  grasshoppers;  two,  moths;  two,  heteropterous 
insects  —  among  them  leaf-hoppers ;  three,  dipterous  insects." 

Warbling  Vireo  ( Vireosylva  gilvus) . — "  Of  sixteen  speci- 
mens examined,  eight  had  eaten  thirty-four  caterpillars ;  two,  five 
beetles,  among  which  were  a  ladybird  (Coccinella  sex-notata), 
and  a  Dibrotica  duodecim-punctata:  three,  three  heteropterous 
insects ;  two,  two  crane-flies ;  one,  grasshopper ;  two,  twenty-eight 
insects'  eggs;  and  one,  dogwood  berries."  (King,  in  Chapman, 
"  The  Economic  Value  of  Birds  to  the  State.") 

The  White-eyed  Vireo  (Vireo  griseus  griseus)  is  a  common 
summer  resident  of  the  tangled  thickets  of  our  southern  border. 
"  The  food  of  this  species  in  early  summer  is  almost  exclusively 
small  insects,  which  it  gleans  with  great  assiduity.  In  eastern 
Massachusetts,  like  all  its  kindred,  it  feeds  eagerly  upon  the  young 
larvae  of  the  destructive  cankerworm,  and  doubtless,  in  the  wilder 
portions  of  the  country,  is  of  considerable  service  in  restricting 
the  increase  of  this  scourge."  (Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway, 
"  North  American  Birds.") 


346  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

WOOD  WARBLERS. 

Mniotiltidce. 

Next  to  the  Sparrows  in  point  of  numbers,  the  Warblers  fill 
the  same  good  office  against  insects  that  the  former  do  against 
weeds.  "  The  Warblers  have  we  always  with  us  —  all,  in  their 
own  good  time ;  they  come  out  of  the  South,  pass  on,  return,  and 
are  away  again,  their  appearance  and  withdrawal  scarcely  less  than 
a  mystery;  many  stay  with  us  all  summer  long,  and  some  brave 
the  winters  in  our  midst.  Some  of  these  slight  creatures,  guided 
by  unerring  instinct,  travel  true  to  the  meridian  in  the  hours  of 
darkness,  slipping  past  like  a  '  thief  in  the  night,'  stopping  at  day- 
break from  their  lofty  flights  to  rest  and  recruit  for  the  next 
stage  of  the  journey.  Others  pass  more  leisurely  from  tree  to 
tree,  in  a  ceaseless  tide  of  migration,  gleaning  as  they  go;  the 
hardier  males,  in  full  song  and  plumage,  lead  the  way  for  the 
weaker  females  and  the  yearlings.  With  tireless  industry  do  the 
Warblers  befriend  the  human  race;  their  unconscious  zeal  plays 
due  part  in  the  nice  adjustment  of  nature's  forces,  helping  to  bring 
about  the  balance  of  vegetable  and  insect  life  without  which  agri- 
culture would  be  in  vain.  They  visit  the  orchard  when  the  apple 
and  pear,  the  peach,  plum,  and  cherry,  are  in  bloom,  seeming  to 
revel  carelessly  amid  the  sweet-stented  and  delicately-tinted  blos- 
soms, but  never  faltering  in  their  good  work.  They  peer  into  the 
crevices  of  the  bark,  scrutinize  each  leaf,  and  explore  the  very 
heart  of  the  buds,  to  detect,  drag  forth,  and  destroy  those  tiny 
creatures,  singly  insignificant,  collectively  a  scourge,  which  prey 
upon  the  hopes  of  the  fruit  grower,  and  which,  if  undisturbed, 
would  bring  his  care  to  nought.  Some  Warblers  flit  incessantly 
in  the  terminal  foliage  of  the  tallest  trees;  others  hug  close  to 
the  scored  trunks  and  gnarled  boughs  of  the  forest  kings ;  some 
peep  from  the  thicket,  the  coppice,  the  impenetrable  mantle  of 
shrubbery  that  decks  tiny  watercourses,  playing  at  hide-and-seek 
with  all  comers ;  others  more  humble  still  descend  to  the  ground, 
where  they  glide  with  pretty  mincing  steps  and  affected  turning 
of  the  head  this  way  and  that,  their  delicate  flesh- tinted  feet  just 
stirring  the  layer  of  withered  leaves  with  which  a  past  season 
carpeted  the  ground.  We  may  seek  warblers  everywhere  in  their 
season ;  we  shall  find  them  a  continual  surprise ;  all  mood  and  cir- 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  347 

cumstance  is  theirs."  (Coues,  "  Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley.") 
"  Of  the  food  of  the  53  specimens  collected,  96  per  cent  con- 
sisted of  insects,  and  4  per  cent  of  fruit.  The  insect  food  was 
distributed  as  follows:  beetles,  21  per  cent;  ants,  wasps,  and  bees, 
18  per  cent;  May-flies,  16  per  cent;  caterpillars,  14  per  cent;  bugs 
(leaf-hoppers,  scale  insects,  and  true  bugs),  6  per  cent;  miscel- 
laneous insects,  including  flies,  a  few  grasshoppers,  and  others, 
8  per  cent;  spiders,  n  per  cent;  and  miscellaneous  invertebrates, 
principally  snails,  2  per  cent.  Of  the  21  per  cent  of  beetles,  3 
per  cent  were  useful  forms,  5  per  cent  neutral,  and  13  per  cent 
injurious."  (Judd,  "  Birds  of  a  Maryland  Farm.") 

Of  the  individual  species  it  is  necessary  to  say  little,  as  their  food 
is  practically  the  same  —  insects  almost  exclusively, —  although 
the  Myrtle  Warbler  (Dendroica  coronata)  feeds  on  bayberries 
frequently  in  winter.  The  Tennessee  Warbler  (Vermivora 
peregrina)  in  some  parts  of  the  country  pierces  grapes,  but  with 
us  it  is  hardly  more  than  a  straggler.  A  Nebraskan  Black  and 
White  Warbler  (Mniotilta  varia)  has  been  known  to  eat  41 
locusts  and  21  other  insects  at  a  meal;  while  from  the  stomachs  of 
two  Wisconsin  birds  were  taken  21  caterpillars.  Two  Myrtle 
Warblers  were  found  by  Professor  King  to  have  eaten  21  cater- 
pillars, mostly  measuring-worms ;  five,  to  have  eaten  14  two- 
winged  flies,  among  which  were  three  crane-flies;  and  15,  to 
have  eaten  48  beetles.  "  Two-thirds  of  the  food  of  five  Illinois 
Yellow  Warblers  (Dendroica  (estiva,  estiva)  consisted  of  canker- 
worms,  and  most  of  the  remainder  was  an  injurious  beetle."  The 
Maryland  Yellowthroat  ( Geothlypis  trichas  trichas}  "  especially 
frequents  the  shrubbery  about  standing  or  running  water,  where 
it  can  be  found  throughout  the  summer  busily  searching  for  in- 
sect food.  It  often  visits  orchards,  where  cankerworms  and 
other  caterpillars  are  greedily  devoured,  these  forming  in  three 
cases  on  record  four-fifths  of  its  food.  The  little  case-bearing 
caterpillars  of  the  genus  Coleophora  and  its  allies  are  often  eaten, 
while  butterflies,  moths,  two-winged  flies,  beetles,  grasshoppers, 
leaf-hoppers,  bugs,  dragon-flies,  Hymenoptera,  and  insects'  eggs 
are  all  included  on  the  bill  of  fare.  The  young  are  sometimes 
fed  with  small  grasshoppers,  and  these  insects  are  a  favorite  item 
of  food  with  the  adult  birds."  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in 
their  Relation  to  Man.")  Seven  Nebraskan  American  Redstarts 


CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

(Setophaga  ruticilla)  had  eaten  161  small  locusts  and  177  other 
insects;  and  n  Wisconsin  birds,  14  small  beetles,  4  very  small 
moths,  4  small  hymenopterous  insects,  and  a  large  number  of 
dipterous  insects.  This  Warbler  catches  insects  on  the  wing  as 
readily  as  a  flycatcher.  Such  instances  of  the  feeding  habits  of 
our  Warblers  might  be  multiplied  indefinitely  with  each  species 
of  the  family,  but  these  are  more  than  sufficient  to  show  how  in- 
dispensable these  birds  are  to  the  state. 

PIPITS. 
Motacillidce. 

The  American  Pipit  or  Titlark  (Anthus  rubescens)  might  in 
many  ways  be  called  the  Warbler  of  the  fields,  as  its  food  is  chiefly 
insects.  "  No  extended  study  of  the  food  habits  of  this  species 
appears.  to  have  been  made.  It  is  asserted,  however,  by  various 
authors  to  feed  on  beetles,  spiders,  seeds  in  the  fields,  and  along 
shore  on  minute  shells,  shrimps,  etc."  (Chapman,  "  The  Eco- 
nomic Value  of  Birds  to  the  State.") 

MOCKINGBIRDS  and  THRASHERS. 


The  Catbird  (Dumetella  carolinensis)  "  always  attracts  atten- 
tion, and  the  intruder  upon  its-  haunts  soon  understands  that  he 
is  not  welcome.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  meaning  of  the  sneer- 
ing voice  with  which  he  is  saluted,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that 
this  gave  rise  to  the  popular  prejudice  against  the  bird;  but  the 
feeling  has  been  increased  by  the  fact  that  the  species  is  some- 
times a  serious  annoyance  to  fruit  growers.  All  such  reports, 
however,  seem  to  come  from  the  prairie  country  of  the  West. 
In  New  England,  according  to  the  writer's  experience,  the  Cat- 
bird is  seldom  seen  about  gardens  or  orchards;  the  reason  may 
possibly  be  found  in  the  fact  that  on  the  prairies  fruit-bearing 
shrubs  which  afford  so  large  a  part  of  this  bird's  food  are  con- 
spicuously absent.  With  the  settlement  of  this  region  comes  an 
extensive  planting  of  orchards,  vineyards,  and  small  fruit  gardens, 
which  furnish  shelter  and  nesting  sites  for  the  Catbird,  as  well 
as  for  other  species,  with  a  consequent  large  increase  in  their 
numbers,  but  without  providing  the  native  fruits  upon  which 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS   OF    CONNECTICUT.  '  349 

they  have  been  accustomed  to  feed.  Under  these  circumstances, 
what  is  more  natural  than  for  the  birds  to  turn  to  cultivated  fruits 
for  their  supplies  ?  The  remedy  is  obvious ;  cultivated  fruits  can 
be  protected  by  the  simple  expedient  of  planting  wild  species  or 
others  which  are  preferred  by  the  birds.  Some  experiments  with 
Catbirds  in  captivity  showed  that  the  Russian  mulberry  was  pre- 
ferred to  any  cultivated  fruit  that  could  be  offered. 

"  The  stomachs  of  213  Catbirds  were  examined,  and  found 
to  contain  44  per  cent  of  animal  (insect),  and  56  per  cent  of  vege- 
table food.  Ants,  beetles,  caterpillars,  and  grasshoppers  constitute 
three-fourths  of  the  animal  food,  the  remainder  being  made  up 
of  bugs,  miscellaneous  insects,  and  spiders.  One-third  of  the 
vegetable  food  consists  of  cultivated  fruits,  or  those  which  may 
be  cultivated,  such  as  strawberries,  raspberries,  and  blackberries; 
but,  while  we  debit  the  bird  with  the  whole  of  this,  it  is  probable 
—  and  in  the  eastern  and  well  wooded  part  of  the  country  almost 
certain  —  that  a  large  part  was  obtained  from  wild  vines.  The 
rest  of  the  vegetable  matter  is  mostly  wild  fruit,  such  as  cherries, 
dogwood,  sour  gum,  elderberries,  greenbrier,  spice  berries,  black 
alder,  sumac,  and  poison  ivy. 

"  Although  the  Catbird  sometimes  does  considerable  harm  by 
destroying  small  fruit,  the  bird  cannot  be  considered  injurious. 
On  the  contrary,  in  most  parts  of  the  country  it  does  far  more 
good  than  harm,  and  the  evil  it  does  can  be  reduced  appreciably 
by  the  methods  already  pointed  out."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common 
Birds  in  their  Relaton  to  Agriculture.") 

Regarding  the  Brown  Thrasher  (Toxostoma  rufum),  Pro- 
fessor Beal  says :  "  The  food  of  the  Brown  Thrasher  consists 
of  both  fruit  and  insects.  An  examination  of  121  stomachs 
showed  36  per  cent  of  vegetable  and  64  of  animal  food,  practically 
all  insects,  and  mostly  taken  in  spring  before  fruit  is  ripe.  Half 
the  insects  were  beetles,  and  the  remainder  chiefly  grasshoppers, 
caterpillars,  bugs,  and  spiders.  A  few  predaceous  beetles  were 
eaten,  but,  on  the  whole,  its  work  as  an  insect  destroyer  may  be 
considered  beneficial. 

"  Eight  per  cent  of  the  food  is  made  up  of  fruits  like  rasp- 
berries and  currants  which  are  or  may  be  cultivated,  but  the 
raspberries  at  least  are  as  likely  to  belong  to  wild  as  to  cultivated 
varieties.  Grain,  made  up  mostly  of  scattered  kernels  of  oats  and 


35O  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

corn,  is  merely  a  trifle,  amounting  to  only  3  per  cent ;  and,  though 
some  of  the  corn  may  be  taken  from  newly  planted  fields,  it  is 
amply  paid  for  by  the  May-beetles,  wild  fruit,  or  seeds.  Taken 
all  in  all,  the  Brown  Thrasher  is  a  useful  bird,  and  probably  does 
just  as  good  work  in  its  secluded  retreats  as  it  would  about  the 
garden,  for  the  swamps  and  groves  are  no  doubt  the  breeding 
grounds  of  many  insects  that  migrate  thence  to  attack  the  farmer's 
crops."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in  their  Relation  to 
Agriculture.") 

WRENS. 
Troglodytida. 

The  House  Wren  (Troglodytes  aedon  aedon)  is  a  tolerably 
common  summer  resident  of  our  orchards.  "  As  regards  food 
habits,  the  House  Wren  is  entirely  beneficial.  Practically,  he  can 
be  said  to  live  upon  animal  food  alone,  for  an  examination  of 
52  stomachs  showed  that  98  per  cent  of  the  stomach  contents 
was  made  up  of  insects  or  their  allies,  and  only  2  per  cent  was 
vegetable,  including  bits  of  grass  and  similar  matter,  evidently 
taken  by  accident  with  the  insects.  Half  of  this  food  consisted 
of  grasshoppers  and  beetles;  the  remainder  of  caterpillars,  bugs, 
and  spiders.  As  the  House  Wren  is  a  prolific  breeder,  frequently 
rearing  from  twelve  to  sixteen  young  in  a  season,  a  family  of 
these  birds  must  cause  considerable  reduction  in  the  number  of 
insects  in  a  garden.  Wrens  are  industrious  foragers,  searching 
every  tree,  shrub,  or. vine  for  caterpillars,  examining  every  post 
and  rail  of  the  fence  and  every  cranny  in  the  wall  for  insects  or 
spiders.  They  do  not,  as  a  rule,  fly  far  afield,  but  work  indus- 
triously in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  their  nests.  In  this  way  they 
become  valuable  aids  in  the  garden  or  orchard,  and  by  providing 
suitable  nesting  boxes  they  may  be  induced  to  take  up  residence 
where  their  services  will  do  most  good.  Their  eccentricities  in 
the  selection  of  a  home  are  well  known.  Almost  anything  from 
an  old  cigar  box  to  a  tomato  can,  an  old  teapot,  a  worn-out  boot, 
or  a  horse's  skull,  is  acceptable,  provided  it  be  placed  well  up  from 
the  ground  and  out  of  reach  of  cats  and  other  prowlers. 

"  It  does  not  seem  possible  to  have  too  many  Wrens,  and  every 
effort  should  be  made  to  protect  them  and  to  encourage  their 
nesting  about  the  house."  (Beal,  "  Some  Common  Birds  in  their 
Relation  to  Agriculture.") 


N0.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS    OF    CONNECTICUT.  351 

An  evil  habit  of  this  Wren  is  that  of  destroying  the  eggs  of 
other  small  birds  by  piercing  them  with  its  slender  bill,  and  the 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  (Telmatodytes  palustris  palustris)  has 
been  seen  by  Mr.  Chapman  to  injure  in  the  same  manner  the 
eggs  of  the  Least  Bittern  (Ardetta  exilis).  This  latter  Wren 
"  though  like  the  House  Wren  it  eats  nothing  but  insects,  can- 
not be  expected  to  help  crops  because  of  the  remoteness  of  its 
marshy  habitat.  Five  birds  were  collected.  Spiders  and  beetles 
(Calandra  oryza,  Donacia,  Hippodamia  maculata)  formed  the 
major  part  of  their  food.  The  minor  part  was  composed  of  true 
bugs,  leaf -hoppers,  flies,  parasitic  wasps,  and  ants."  (Judd, 
"  Birds  of  a  Maryland  Farm.") 

The  Winter  Wren  (Nannus  hiemalis  hiemalis')  lives  like  the 
others  of  its  family  on  insects  and  spiders. 

CREEPERS. 
Certhiidce. 

The  Brown  Creeper  (Certhia  familiaris  americana)  hunts 
systematically  through  our  woodland  and  orchards  for  insects, 
flying  from  the  top  of  one  tree  to  the  base  of  another  and  search- 
ing in  the  interstices  of  the  bark  for  eggs  as  it  proceeds  slowly 
up  the  trunk.  "  Very  few  precise  determinations  of  its  food 
have  been  made:  three  stomachs  examined  by  King  contained 
small  beetles  and  other  insects,  and  Nelson  reports  that  he  has 
seen  several  of  these  Creepers  on  the  sides  of  a  house  searching 
for  spiders.  In  June,  1895,  Aughey  saw  two  parent  birds  bring 
to  a  nest  of  young  twenty-seven  locusts  in  an  hour.  In  Mary- 
land, Judd  found  that  one  bird  had  eaten  beetles,  sawflies,  flying 
ants,  spiders,  and  seeds  of  the  scrub  pine.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  this  is  a  very  useful  little  bird,  deserving  all  possible  en- 
couragement." (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation 
to  Man.") 

NUTHATCHES. 
Sittidce. 

Other  useful  gleaners  of  the  tree  trunks  and  the  larger 
branches  are  the  White-breasted  and  Red-breasted  Nuthatches 
(Sitta  carolinensis  carolinensis,  and  canadensis).  Regarding  the 


352  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

White-breasted  Nuthatch,  Weed  and  Dearborn  say:  "  Professor 
King  examined  the  stomach  contents  of  twenty-five  Wisconsin 
specimens,  and  found  that  fourteen  of  them  had  eaten  beetles,  in- 
cluding elaters  and  longicorns,  while  others  contained  ants,  cater- 
pillars, and  beetle  grubs,  a  spider,  and  a  chrysalis,  a  few  small 
toadstools,  some  acorns,  and  a  little  corn.  Four  Illinois  specimens 
had  eaten  beetles  of  various  kinds,  some  of  them  being  lady- 
beetles. 

:<  The  food  of  this  species  in  winter  and  spring  was  made  the 
subject  of  a  special  study  by  Professor  E.  D.  Sanderson.  '  Dur- 
ing the  winter  the  larger  proportion  of  the  food  was  composed 
of  seeds,  which  gradually  decreased  as  insect  life  became  more 
abundant.'  Seeds  of  Indian  corn,  ragweed,  and  wild  sunflowers 
were  recognized ;  the  insects  were  largely  in  egg  or  larval  stages. 
In  spring  nearly  eighty  per  cent  of  the  food  consisted  of  insects, 
chiefly  adults.  No  traces  of  acorns  were  found  in  the  stomachs 
examined.  From  these  studies  Professor  Sanderson  reaches  the 
conclusion  that  this  species  is  '  either  absolutely  neutral  or  of 
comparatively  small  economic  importance  ' —  a  conclusion  which, 
it  seems  to  us,  is  by  no  means  warranted  by  his  results.  During 
the  spring,  he  writes,  '  Hymenoptera  were  found  in  considerable 
numbers,  all  being  beneficial.'  Probably  it  is  on  this  account  that 
the  usefulness  of  the  birds  is  doubted.  But  we  believe  that  in- 
vestigators err  in  saying  that  all  parasitic  insects  are  beneficial." 
(Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Man.") 

The  feeding  habits  of  the  Red-breasted  Nuthatch  are  similar. 

TITMICE. 
ParidcB. 

Taking  up  the  work  where  the  Creepers  and  Nuthatches  have 
left  it,  carrying  their  search  for  insects  and  their  eggs  to  the  tips 
of  the  branches  and  the  hanging  leaves,  and  often  intruding  on 
the  ground  more  properly  belonging  to  the  others,  common  and 
remaining  with  us  all  the  year,  the  Chickadee  (Par us  atricapillus 
atricapillus}  is  probably  the  most  useful  bird  we  possess.  "  In 
a  cankerworm-infested  orchard  sixty-one  per  cent  of  the  food 
of  two  Chickadees  consisted  of  these  caterpillars,  while  injurious 
beetles  constituted  the  remainder. 


No.   20.]  THE  BIRDS  OF   CONNECTICUT.  353 

"  In  a  recent  investigation  of  the  winter  food  of  the  Chickadee, 
we  studied  the  stomach  contents  of  forty-one  specimens  taken 
during  November,  December,  January,  February,  and  March. 
The  results  as  a  whole  show  that  more  than  half  of  the  food  of 
the  Chickadees  during  winter  consists  of  insects,  a  very  large 
proportion  of  which  are  taken  in  the  form  of  eggs.  About  five 
per  cent  of  the  stomach  contents  consisted  of  spiders  or  their 
eggs-  Vegetation  of  various  sorts  made  up  a  little  less  than  a 
quarter  of  the  food,  two-thirds  of  which,  however,  consisted  of 
buds  and  bud-scales  that  were  believed  to  have  been  accidentally 
introduced  with  plant-lice  eggs.  These  eggs  made  up  more  than 
one-fifth  of  the  entire  food  and  formed  the  most  remarkable 
element  of  the  bill  of  fare.  This  destruction  of  the  myriads  of 
eggs  of  plant-lice  which  infest  the  fruit,  shade,  and  forest  trees, 
is  probably  the  most  important  service  the  Chickadee  renders 
during  its  winter  residence.  More  than  four  hundred  and  fifty 
eggs  sometimes  occur  as  the  food  of  one  bird  in  a  single  day. 
On  the  supposition  that  one  hundred  were  eaten  daily  by  each 
of  a  flock  of  ten  Chickadees,  there  would  be  destroyed  one  thou- 
sand a  day,  or  one  hundred  thousand  during  the  days  of  winter 
—  a  number  which  we  believe  to  be  far  below  the  actual  average, 
could  we  determine  it  precisely.  Insects'  eggs  of  many  other 
kinds  were  found  in  the  food  of  the  Chickadee;  many  of  these 
it  was  impossible  to  recognize,  but  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
identifying  the  eggs  of  the  common  American  tent  caterpillar 
and  of  the  fall  cankerworm,  the  eggs  of  which  remain  upon 
the  trees  through  the  winter.  There  were  also  present  the  eggs 
and  egg  sacs  of  many  spiders  of  kinds  commonly  occurring  under 
loose  bark.  While  spiders  as  a  class  are  doubtless  beneficial 
creatures,  the  destruction  of  some  of  them  is  not  in  our  opinion 
seriously  detrimental  to  the  usefulness  of  the  Chickadee.  The 
larvae  of  several  different  kinds  of  moths  were  also  found.  One 
of  the  most  abundant  species  was  believed  to  be  the  common  apple 
worm,  the  larva  of  the  codling  moth.  The  bark  beetles  of  the 
family  Scolytidae,  which  are  destructive  to  forests  all  over  our 
country,  were  also  freely  eaten  by  the  Chickadees.  The  hairy 
skins  of  the  fruit  of  the  common  wild  sumachs  were  among  the 
most  abundant  elements  of  the  vegetable  food  present.  The 
edible  portion  of  these  fruits  is  evidently  eaten  to  a  considerable 
23 


354  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

extent  throughout  the  winter  and  early  spring.  Another  com- 
mon element  of  the  food  appears  to  consist  of  the  curious  fruits 
of  the  bayberry  or  waxberry  myrtle  —  an  abundant  shrub  along 
the  seacoast.  In  winter  Chickadees  have  been  observed  to  hide 
away  surplus  food,  to  eat  at  a  later  time. 

"  A  careful  study  of  the  food  of  the  Chickadee  in  Michigan 
has  also  been  made  by  Professor  E.  D.  Sanderson,  with  results 
very  similar  to  those  recorded  above.  As  an  indication  of  the 
usefulness  of  these  birds,  he  writes :  'If  fifty-five  insects  were 
consumed  per  day  by  each  bird,  as  will  be  shown  to  be  the  case, 
three  hundred  and  eighty-five  would  be  consumed  per  day  by  a 
flock  of  seven,  which  is  believed  to  be  a  fair  average  for  each 
square  mile;  this  would  be  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
thousand  five  hundred  per  year  in  each  square  mile.  Thus  upon 
the  land  surface  of  Michigan  there  will  annually  be  about  eight 
thousand  million  insects  destroyed  by  Chickadees  alone  —  surely 
no  mean  number/  "  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Rela- 
tion to  Man.") 

Mr.  Forbush  reports  that  1,028  eggs  of  the  fall  cankerworm 
were  found  in  the  stomachs  of  four  Chickadees  killed  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  that  four  others  taken  later  in  the  season  had  eaten 
105  female  imagoes  of  the  spring  canker  worm,  each  moth  con- 
taining on  the  average  185  eggs.  "  Mr.  Bailey  is  very  positive 
from  his  continuous  field  observation,  that  each  Chickadee  will 
devour  on  the  average  30  female  cankerworm  moths  per  day 
from  the  2oth  of  March  until  the  I5th  of  April,  provided  these 
insects  are  plentiful.  If  the  average  number  of  eggs  laid  by  each 
female  is  185,  one  Chickadee  would  thus  destroy  in  one  day  5,550 
eggs>  and  in  the  twenty-five  days  in  which  the  cankerworm  moths 
'  run  '  or  crawl  up  the  trees,  138,750.  It  may  be  thought  that  this 
computation  is  excessive,  and  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the  moths 
were  not  captured  until  they  had  laid  some  of  their  eggs,  but  the 
Chickadees  are  busy  eating  these  eggs  also.  When  we  consider 
further  that  41  of  these  insects,  distended  as  they  were  with  eggs, 
were  found  at  one  time  in  the  stomach  of  one  Chickadee,  and 
that  the  digestion  of  the  bird  is  so  rapid  that  its  stomach  was 
probably  filled  many  times  daily,  the  estimate  made  by  Mr.  Bailey 
seems  a  very  conservative  one.  He  now  regards  the  Chickadee 
as  the  best  friend  the  farmer  has,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  with 


No.    20.]  THE  BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  355 

him  all  the  year,  and  there  is  no  bird  that  can  compare  with  it  in 
destroying  the  female  moths  and  their  eggs."  (Forbush,  "  Birds 
as  Protectors  of  Orchards.") 

KINGLETS. 
Sylvtida. 

Our  Golden  and  Ruby-crowned  Kinglets  (Regulus  satrapa 
satrapa  and  R.  calendula  calendula)  carry  on  the  work  of  the 
Chickadees  to  the  flowers  and  to  the  leaf-buds,  which  their  diminu- 
tive size  allows  them  to  investigate.  Regarding  the  Golden- 
crowned  Kinglet  Professor  King  says :  "Of  nine  specimens 
examined,  two  had  eaten  twelve  small  diptera;  three,  nine  small 
beetles;  one,  four  caterpillars;  one,  a  small  chrysalis;  and  three, 
very  small  bits  of  insects,  too  fine  to  be  identified." 

Of  the  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet  he  says:  "  Of  seven  specimens 
examined,  two  had  eaten  four  small  caterpillars;  three,  five 
beetles;  one,  an  ant;  one,  a  chalcis  fly;  and  two,  bits  of  insects 
not  identified."  (King,  "  The  Economic  Relation  of  Wisconsin 
Birds,"  in  Chapman,  "  The  Economic  Value  of  Birds  to  the 
State.") 

THRUSHES,  ROBINS,  and  BLUEBIRDS. 
Turdida. 

Our  Thrushes  are  all  insectivorous,  and  in  feeding  habits 
closely  resemble  each  other.  "  In  summarizing  the  food  of  the 
family  of  Thrushes  as  it  occurs  in  Illinois,  Professor  Forbes  says : 
'  Sixty-one  per  cent  of  the  food  consists  of  insects,  one  per-cent 
of  spiders,  two  per  cent  of  myriapods,  and  thirty-two  per  cent  of 
fruits,  eleven  per  cent  being  blackberries,  eight  per  cent  cherries*, 
one  per  cent  currants,  and  five  per  cent  grapes.  Thirty  parts  of 
the  food  consist  of  injurious  insects,  and  eight  parts  of  beneficial 
species,  while  twenty-six  parts  consist  of  edible  fruits.  This, 
however,  refers  only  to  the  adult  birds,  the  food  of  the  young  not 
being  sufficiently  known  to  be  included  in  the  estimate.  All  the 
observations  on  record  indicate  that  the  nestlings  of  Thrushes 
are  fed  upon  insects,  especially  smooth  caterpillars  like  the  cut- 
worms, so  that  there  is  little  doubt  that  this  factor  would  largely 
increase  the  already  conclusive  evidence  as  to  the  great  value 


356  CONNECTICUT   GEOL.    AND   NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

of  this  splendid  family/  "  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their 
Relation  to  Man.") 

Of  the  Wood  Thrush  (Hylocichla  mustelina)  Mr.  Chapman 
says :  "  Professor  Forbes  writes,  after  examining  the  contents  of 
twenty-two  birds  of  this  species :  '  Seventy-one  per  cent  of  their 
food  consists  of  insects,  and  twenty  per  cent  of  fruit,  a  small  ratio 
of  spiders  and  mollusks,  and  an  unusually  large  percentage  of 
Myriopoda  making  up  the  remainder.'  After  discussing  in  detail 
the  bird's  economic  relations,  the  same  author  adds :  '  Its  ad- 
vances, therefore,  are  to  be  cordially  encouraged  by  the  gardener 
and  farmer  —  a  fact  which  must  be  especially  agreeable  to  every 
lover  of  bird  music,  who  has  learned  to  recognize  the  full,  clear, 
rich,  exquisite  strains  of  this  songster/"  (Chapman,  "The 
Economic  Value  of  Birds  to  the  State.") 

The  stomachs  of  three  Gray-cheeked  Thrushes  (Hylocichla 
alici(E  alicia)  collected  in  May  were  found  by  Dr.  Judd  to  contain 
sawfly  larvae,  ants,  caterpillars,  May-flies,  ground  beetles,  weevils, 
and  scarabseid  beetles;  while  two  Olive-backed  Thrushes 
(Hylocichla  ustulata  swainsoni),  also  collected  in  May,  had  eaten 
ants,  wasps,  ground  beetles,  darkling  beetles,  and  ground  spiders. 

Regarding  the  Hermit  Thrush  (Hylocichla  guttata  pallasi), 
Professor  Forbes  reports  as  follows  on  the  food  contents  of 
the  stomachs  of  twenty-one  Hermit  Thrushes :  "  Eighty-four  per 
cent  of  the  food  consisted  of  insects,  four  per  cent  of  spiders, 
and  twelve  per  cent  of  thousand-legs.  Ants  amounted  to  fifteen 
per  cent,  Lepidoptera  to  nineteen  per  cent,  including  a  few 
Phalaenidae,  and  Diptera  only  to  three  —  chiefly  the  'larvse  of 
Bibio.  Coleoptera  make  thirty  per  cent  of  the  food,  eleven  per 
cent  being  Carabidce."  (Forbes,  "The  Food  of  Birds":  Bull. 
"3,  Illinois  State  Laboratory  of  Nat.  Hist.) 

The  food  of  the  Wilson's  Thrush  (Hylocichla  fuse  esc  ens 
fuscescens)  is  doubtless  similar  to  that  of  our  other  Thrushes; 
but,  were  its  only  claim  on  our  regard  its  "  clear,  bell-like  notes, 
resonant,  distinct,  yet  soft  and  of  indescribable  sadness,"  it  would 
still  well  deserve  protection. 

The  American  Robin  (Planesticus  migratorius  migratorius) 
needs  no  introduction.  "  With  the  exception  of  the  English 
Sparrow  and  possibly  the  Crow,  the  economic  status  of  no  Amer- 
ican bird  has  been  discussed  so  fully  and  freely  as  that  of  the 


No.    2O.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  357 

Robin.  Appearing  early  in  the  spring  and  remaining  late  in  the 
autumn  in  regions  where  it  does  not  reside  throughout  the  year, 
commonly  frequenting  lawns  and  meadows,  building  conspicuous 
nests  near  the  haunts  of  man,  feeding  freely  upon  the  fruits  of 
the  garden  and  orchard,  greeting  the  rising  and  the  setting  sun 
with  bursts  of  no  mean  melody  —  these  and  other  considerations 
have  combined  to  render  the  Robin  familiar  to  every  lover  of  the 
outdoor  world."  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Relation 
to  Man.")  But,  while  the  evidence  is  strongly  against  the  English 
Sparrow  and  hardly  in  favor  of  the  Crow,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that,  in  spite  of  its  taste  for  fruit,  the  Robin  is  a  very  useful  bird 
and  should  be  thoroughly  protected.  Professor  Forbes  found 
that  99  per  cent  of  the  food  of  n  Robins  shot  in  February  in 
Illinois  consisted  of  insects,  of  which  cutworms  and  other  cater- 
pillars constituted  14  per  cent,  and  the  larvae  of  the  white-winged 
Bibio  76  per  cent.  "  Thirty-seven  per  cent  of  the  food  of  nine 
March  robins  consisted  of  Bibio  larvae ;  cutworms  and  other  cater- 
pillars formed  30  per  cent."  "  Taking  the  year  as  a  whole,  in- 
sects form  almost  two-thirds  of  the  food  of  the  Robin."  "  Six 
robins  shot  in  Nebraska  by  Professor  Aughey  had  eaten  two 
hundred  and  sixty-five  Rocky  Mountain  locusts  and  eighty-four 
other  insects.  In  Wisconsin  Professor  King  examined  the 
stomachs  of  thirty-seven  specimens  taken  during  the  interval 
between  March  and  October.  '  Five  birds  had  eaten  eleven  cut- 
worms ;  three,  five  wire- worms ;  two,  two  hairy  caterpillars ;  one,  a 
hog-caterpillar  of  the  vine ;  five,  eight  scarabaeid  beetles ;  two,  cur- 
culios ;  one,  a  click  beetle ;  one,  an  ichneumon  fly ;  two,  two  spiders ; 
one,  a  millipede;  two,  two  angle- worms ;  six,  nine  grasshoppers; 
two,  eight  grasshoppers'  eggs;  one,  a  moth;  three  (young  birds), 
pellets  of  grass ;  one,  choke-cherries ;  two,  black  cherries ;  one 
raspberries ;  one,  grapes ;  one,  sheep  berries ;  and  one,  berries  of 
Indian  turnip/ '' 

"Concerning  the  fruit-eating  proclivities  of  the  Robin,  Mr.  W. 
J.  Green,  of  the  Ohio  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  writes: 
'  The  capacity  of  the  Robin  for  berries  is  enormous,  and  when 
hundreds  come  at  once  the  growers  suffer  serious  losses.  On 
the  station  ground  nearly  all  of  the  early  raspberries  and  black- 
berries are  taken  by 'the  Robins,  and  only  in  the  height  of  the 
season  are  there  enough  berries  left  to  give  the  pickers  a  chance 


358  CONNECTICUT  GEOL.   AND   NAT.    HIST.   SURVEY.  [Bull. 

to  earn  fair  wages.  If  left  to  themselves  the  Robins  would  take 
the  greater  share  of  the  black  raspberries  that  grow  on  a  planta- 
tion of  more  than  an  acre.  Growers  in  other  parts  of  the  coun- 
try have  complained  of  losses  quite  as  large.' 

"  The  above  accounts  relate  to  the  food  of  the  adult  Robins. 
We  have  next  to  consider  that  of  the  nestlings.  Properly  to 
appreciate  the  importance  of  the  latter,  we  must  remember  that 
as  far  north  as  Massachusetts  three  broods  of  nestlings  are  com- 
monly reared ;  that  from  early  spring  till  late  in  the  summer  each 
pair  of  old  birds  is  engaged  at  least  half  of  the  time  in  providing 
food  for  four,  five,  or  six  ravenous  birdlings;  and  that  each  of 
the  latter  probably  requires  more  food  while  in  the  nest  than  does 
one  of  the  adults  during  the  same  period.  It  seems  to  us  that 
the  chief  claim  of  the  Robin  upon  man's  favor  rests  upon  these 
facts. 

"  In  1884  we  examined  the  stomach  contents  of  six  young 
Robins  from  Michigan  nests.  The  largest  single  element  of  the 
food  consisted  of  cutworms  and  related  caterpillars,  which 
formed  twenty-seven  per  cent  of  the  total  dietary.  Among  other 
insects  present  were  seven  per  cent  of  beetles,  including  cur- 
culios  and  ground  beetles  and  various  undetermined  species. 
There  were  also  present  twenty  per  cent  of  earthworms,  one  per 
cent  of  snails,  three  per  cent  of  myriapods,  and  about  thirty  per 
cent  of  grass  blades.  The  latter  seem  almost  always  to  be  found 
in  the  stomachs  of  nestling  Robins ;  they  may  be  introduced  acci- 
dentally with  the  cutworms  or  possibly  may  have  a  dietetic  value. 

"  The  food  of  fourteen  nestlings  examined  by  Beal  consisted 
of  caterpillars,  locusts,  grasshoppers,  crickets,  and  beetles,  with  a 
few  spiders,  snails,  and  earthworms,  and  seven  per  cent  of  berries 
of  various  kinds."  (Weed  and  Dearborn,  "  Birds  in  their  Rela- 
tion to  Man.") 

"  An  examination  of  330  stomachs  shows  that  over  42  per  cent 
of  its  food  is  animal  matter,  principally  insects,  while  the 
remainder  is  made  up  largely  of  small  fruits  or  berries.  Over  19 
per  cent  consists  of  beetles,  about  one-third  of  which  are  useful 
ground  beetles,  taken  mostly  in  spring  and  fall,  when  other  in- 
sects are  scarce.  Grasshoppers  make  up  about  one-tenth  of  the 
whole  food,  but  in  August  comprise  over  30  per  cent.  Cater- 
pillars form  about  6  per  cent,  while  the  rest  of  the  animal  food, 


No.    20.]  THE   BIRDS   OF   CONNECTICUT.  359 

about  7  per  cent,  is  made  up  of  various  insects,  with  a  few  spiders, 
snails,  and  angle-worms.  All  the  grasshoppers,  caterpillars,  and 
bugs,  with  a  large  portion  of  the  beetles,  are  injurious,  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  noxious  insects  comprise  more  than  one-third  of 
the  Robin's  food. 

"Vegetable  food  forms  nearly  58  per  cent  of  the  stomach 
contents,  over  47  being  wild  fruits,  and  only  a  little  more  than 
4  per  cent  being  possibly  cultivated  varieties.  Cultivated  fruit 
amounting  to  about  25  per  cent  was  found  in  the  stomachs  in 
June  and  July,  but  only  a  trifle  in  August.  Wild  fruit,  on  the 
contrary,  is  eaten  in  every  month,  and  constitutes  a  staple  food 
during  half  the  year.  No  less  than  forty-one  species  were  identi- 
fied in  the  stomachs ;  of  these  the  most  important  were  four  species 
of  dogwood,  three  of  wild  cherries,  three  of  wild  grapes,  four 
of  greenbrier,  two  of  holly,  two  of  elder ;  and  cranberries,  huckle- 
berries, blueberries,  barberries,  service-berries,  hackberries,  and 
persimmons,  with  four  species  of  sumac,  and  various  other  seeds 
not  strictly  fruit.  The  depredations  of  the  Robin  seem  to  be 
confined  to  the  smaller  and  earlier  fruits;  and  few,  if  any,  com- 
plaints have  been  made  against  it  on  the  score  of  eating  apples, 
peaches,  pears,  grapes,  or  even  late  cherries.  By  the  time  these 
are  ripe  the  forests  and  hedges  are  teeming  with  wild  fruits, 
which  the  bird  evidently  finds  more  to  its  taste.  The  cherry,  un- 
fortunately, ripens  so  early  that  it  is  almost  the  only  fruit  acces- 
sible at  a  time  when  the  bird's  appetite  has  been  sharpened  by  a 
long  continued  diet  of  insects,  earthworms,  and  dried  berries; 
and  it  is  no  wonder  that  at  first  the  rich,  juicy  morsels  are  greedily 
eaten.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Robin  takes  ten  times  as  much 
wild  as  cultivated  fruit,  it  seems  unwise  to  destroy  the  birds  to 
save  so  little.  Nor  is  this  necessary,  for  by  a  little  care  both  may 
be  preserved.  Where  much  fruit  is  grown,  it  is  no  great  loss  to 
give  up  one  tree  to  the  birds ;  and  in  some  cases  the  crop  can  be 
protected  by  scarecrows.  Where  wild  fruit  is  not  abundant,  a 
few  fruit-bearing  shrubs  and  vines  judiciously  planted  will  serve 
for  ornament  and  provide  food  for  the  birds.  The  Russian  mul- 
berry is  a  vigorous  grower  and  a  profuse  bearer,  ripening  at  the 
same  time  as  the  cherry,  and,  so  far  as  observation  has  gone, 
most  birds  seem  to  prefer  its  fruit  to  any  other.  It  is  believed 
that  a  number  of  these  trees  planted  around  the  garden  or 


360  CONNECTICUT    GEOL.    AND    NAT.    HIST.    SURVEY.  [Bull. 

orchard  would  fully  protect  the  more  valuable  fruits."  (Beal, 
"  Some  Common  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 

The  Bluebird  (Sialia  sialis  sialis)  "  frequents  orchards  and 
gardens,  where  it  builds  its  nest  in  hollow  trees  or  takes  ad- 
vantage of  a  nesting  box  provided  by  the  enterprising  farmer's 
boy. 

"  So  far  as  known  this  bird  has  not  been  accused  of  stealing 
fruit  or  of  preying  upon  any  crops.  An  examination  of  295 
stomachs  showed  that  76  per  cent  of  the  food  consists  of  insects 
and  their  allies,  while  the  other  24  per  cent  is  made  up  of  various 
vegetable  substances,  found  mostly  in  stomachs  taken  in  winter. 
Beetles  constitute  28  per  cent  of  the  whole  food,  grasshoppers 
22,  caterpillars  n,  and  various  insects,  including  quite  a  number 
of  spiders,  comprise  the  remainder  of  the  insect  diet.  All  these 
are  more  or  less  harmful,  except  a  few  predaceous  beetles,  which 
amount  to  8  per  cent;  but,  in  view  of  the  large  consumption  of 
grasshoppers  and  caterpillars,  we  can  at  least  condone  this  offense, 
if  such  it  may  be  called.  The  destruction  of  grasshoppers  is  very 
noticeable  in  the  months  of  August  and  September,  when  these 
insects  form  more  than  60  per  cent  of  the  diet. 

"  It  is  evident  that  in  the  selection  of  its  food  the  Bluebird 
is  governed  more  by  abundance  than  by  choice.  Predaceous 
beetles  are  eaten  in  spring,  as  they  are  the  first  insects  to  appear; 
but  in  early  summer  caterpillars  form  an  important  part  of  the 
diet,  and  are  replaced  a  little  later  by  grasshoppers.  Beetles  are 
eaten  at  all  times,  except  when  grasshoppers  are  more  easily 
obtained. 

"  So  far  as  its  vegetable  food  is  concerned,  the  Bluebird  is 
positively  harmless.  The  only  traces  of  any  useful  product  in  the 
stomachs  consisted  of  a  few  blackberry  seeds,  and  even  these  more 
probably  belonged  to  wild  than  cultivated  varieties.  Following 
is  a  list  of  the  various  seeds  which  were  found :  blackberry,  choke- 
berry,  juniper  berry,  pokeberry,  partridge  berry,  greenbrier, 
Virginia  creeper,  bittersweet,  holly,  strawberry  bush,  false 
spikenard,  wild  sarsaparilla,  sumac  (several  species),  rose  haws, 
sorrel,  ragweed,  grass,  and  asparagus.  This  list  shows  how  little 
the  Bluebird  depends  upon  the  farm  or  garden  to  supply  its  needs, 
and  indicates  that,  by  encouraging  the  growth  of  some  of  these 
plants,  many  of  which  are  highly  ornamental,  the  bird  can  be 
induced  to  make  its  home  on  the  premises."  (Beal,  "  Some  Com- 
mon Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Agriculture.") 


INDEX. 


Acanthis  hornemanni  exilipes  120,  194 

linaria  linaria  120,   192 

linaria   rostrata   121,    195 
Accipiter   cooperi    76,    190,    193,    273, 
274,  275,  279 

velox  75,  190,  193,  273,  274,  275 
Actitis  macularia  63,  191,  268 
yEgialitis  meloda  67,  193 

semipalmata  66,    193 
^Ethiinse   18 
Agelaius  phceniceus  fortis  112,  194 

phoeniceus  phceniceus  112,  116.  190, 

303,  315 

Aix  sponsa  33   191,   192 
Alaudidss  105,  290 
Alca  torda  19,  194 
Alcedinidae  91,  283 
Alcidse  18,  264 
Alcinae  18 
Alcyones  91 
Alle  alle  19,  194 
Allinse  19 

Aluco  pratincola  85,  190 
Aluconidae  85 
Ammodramus    savannarum    australis 

124,   191,  328,  329 
Anas  platyrhynchos  30,  192 

rubripes  30,  190,  192 
Anatidae  28,  265 
Anatinae  30 
Anseres  28 
Anserinae  40 

Anthus  rubescens  166,  192,  193,  348 
Antrostomus  carolinensis  97,   194 

vociferus  vociferus  97,  191,  286 
Aphrizidae  67 

Aquila   chrysaetos  81,    194,  278 
Archibuteo  lagopus  sanctijohannisSi, 

192,  278 

Archilochus  colubris  99,  191,  287 
Ardea  herodias  herodias  4^  191,  192, 

266 

Ardeidae  43,  265 
ArdeincE  45 

Arenaria  interpres  morinella  67,   193 
Arenariinae  67 

Arquatella  maritima  maritima  56,  192, 
193 


Asio  flammeus  86,  190,  193,  280 

wilsonianus  86,   190,   281 
Astragalinus    tristis     tristis    8,     121, 

190,  325 
Astur   atricapillus   atricapillus  8,   77, 

190,  274,  279 
Auk,  Little  19,  194 

Razor-billed  19,  194 
Auk  family  18,  264 
Avocet  53,  194,  268 
Avocet  family  53,  266 
Baeolophus  bi color  174,  195 
Baldpate  31,  192 
Bartramia    longicauda   62,    191,    193, 

267,  268 
Birds,  Diving  15 

Gallinaceous  68 

of  Prey  73 

Perching  100 

Shore  52,  266 

Song  105 

Songless  Perching  100 
Bittern  43,  190,  IQ2 

Least  44,  I9r»  T92>  35i 
Bittern  family  43,  265 
Blackbird,    Crow    115,    116,    117,    *9L 
306,  315 

Red-winged  112,  116,  190,  303,  315 

Rusty  114,  n6,  193,  305 

Thick-billed  112,  194 

Yellow-headed  in,  194 
Blackbird  family  109,  298 
Bluebird  in,  180,  186,  190,  328,  360 
Bobolink  8,   109,   in,  191,  3<x> 
Bob-white  68,  190,  268 
Bombycilla   cedrorum    in,    142,    190, 
340 

garrula  142,  195 
Bombycillidas  142,  340 
Bonasa  umbellus  togata  8,  69,  190 

umbellus  umbellus  8,  68,  190,  271 
Booby  26,  194 
Botaurinae  43,  265 
Botaurus  lentiginosus  43,  190,  192 
Brant  42,  192 
Branta  bernicla  glaucogastra  42,   192 

canadensis  canadensis  41,  192 

canadensis  hutchinsi  41,  194 


361 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Bubo  virginianus  virginianus  89,  190, 
278,  279 

Buffle-head  36,  190 

Bunting,  Indigo  8,  no,  136,  191 
Snow  122,  192,  193,  326 

Butcher  Bird  143,  192,  341,  344 

Buteo  borealis  borealis  77,    190,   193, 

276,  277 

lineatus  lineatus  8,  78,  190,  276,  277 
platypterus  80,  191,  193,  276,  277 

Buteonidae  74,  273 

Butorides  virescens  virescens  47,  191 

Buzzard,  Turkey  73,  194 

Calcarius  lapponicus  lapponicus   122, 

192,  193 

Calidris  leucophsea  59,  193 

Camptorhynchus  labradorius  37,    194 

Canvas-back  34,  194 

Caprimulgi  97 

Caprimulgidse  97,  286 

Cardinal  135,  195 

Cardinalis   cardinalis   cardinalis    135, 

195 

Carduelis  carduelis  185 
Carpodacus  purpureus  purpureus  no, 

118,  190,  193,  316 
Catbird  8,  167,  190,  315,  328,  348 
Catharista  urubu  74,  194 
Cathartes  aura  septentrionalis  73,  194 
Cathartidse  73 
Catoptrophorus     semipalmatus    inor- 

natus  62,  194 

semipalmatus  semipalmatus  61,  194 
Cepphi  17 

Cepphus  grylle  18,  194 
Certhia  familiaris  americana  173,  192, 

193,  351 
Certhiidae  173,  351 

Ceryle  alcyon  91,  141,   190,  283 

Centurus  carolinus  96,  194 

Chaetura  pelagica  99,  191,  287 

Chaeturinae  99 

Charadriidse  64,  267 

Charadrius   dominicus   dominicus  64, 

193,  267 

Charitonetta  albeola  36,  190 
Chat,  Yellow-breasted  8,  in,  163,  191 
Chaulelasmus  streperus  31,   194 
Chen  hyperboreus  nivalis  40,  194 
Chenalopex  aegyptiaca  183 
Chickadee  8,   143,   174,  190,  352 

Hudsonian    174,    195 
Chordeiles  virginianus  virginianus  98, 

191,  193,  286 

Chuck-will's-widow  97,    194 
Circus  hudsonius  75,  190,  193,  273,  276 
Cistothorus  stellaris  171,   191 


Clamatores  100 

Clangula  clangula  americana  36,  192 

islandica  36,  194 
Coccyges  90 
Coccyzinae  90 

Coccyzus  americanus  americanus  90, 
191,  282 

erythrophthalmus  91,  191,  282 
Colaptes  auratus  luteus  96,  190,  193, 

285 
Colinus    virginianus    virginianus    68, 

190,  268 
Columbae  69 
Columbidae  69,  272 
Colymbi  15 
Colymbidae  15,  263 
Colymbus  auritus  15,  192 

holbcelli  15,  192 
Compsothlypis  americana  usneae  152, 

191,  193 

Coot  52,  192,  266 
Coot  family  52,  266 
Cormorant  27,  192 

Double-crested  27,  192 
Cormorant  family  27,  265 
Corvidae  107,  291 
Corvinse  107 

Corvus    brachyrhynchos   brachyrhyn- 
chos  107,  190,  279,  292,  293 

corax  principalis  107,  194 

ossifragus  8,  108,   190 
Coturnicops    noveboracensis    50,    192, 

280 

Coturnix  coturnix  183 
Cowbird  no,  116,  146,  160,  190,  302, 

315 

Crake,  Corn  51,  194 
Crane,  Sandhill  183 

Whooping  183 

Creciscus  jamaicensis  50,   191 
Creeper,  Brown  173,  192,  193,  351 
Creeper  family  173,  351 
Crex  crex  51  194 
Crossbill   119,   192,  3*7 

White-winged   119,    192,   317 
Crow  107,  190,  279,  292,  293 

Fish  8,  108,  190 
Crow  family  107,  291 
Cryptoglaux  acadica  acadica  88,  190, 
280,  281 

funerea  richardsoni  88,  194 
Cuckoo,  Black-billed  91,  191,  282 

Yellow-billed  90,  191,  282 
Cuckoo  family  90,  282 
Cuculi  90 
Cuculidae  90,  282 
Curlew,  Eskimo  64,  194.  267 


NO.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


363 


Hudsonian  63,  193 

Long-billed  63,  194 
Cyanocitta  cristata  cristata  107,   190, 

263,  291 
Cygninse  42 
Cypseli  99 
Dafila  acuta  33,  192 
Dendroica  sestiva  sestiva  8,  no,  153, 
191,  264,  347 

caerulescens  cserulescens  8,  154,  191* 

193 

castanea  156,  193 

cerulea  155,  195 

coronata  154,   192,   I93>  347 

discolor  8,  no,  159,  191 

fusca  8,  157,  191,  193 

magnolia  8,  155,  191,  193 

palmarum  hypochrysea  159,  192,  193 

palmarum   palmarum   158,    193 

pensylvanica  8,  no,  156,  191 

striata  157,  193 

tigrina  153,   193 

vigorsi  158,  191,  193 

virens  158,  191,  193 
Dickcissel  136,  191,  329 
Diver,  Great  Northern  17,  190,  263 
Dolichonyx  oryzivorus    8,    109,    III, 

191,  300 

Dove,  Mourning  73,  190,  272 
Dove  family  69,  272 
Dovekie  19,  194 
Dovekie  family  19 
Dowitcher  54,  193,  267 

Long-billed  55,  194 
Dryobates    pubescens    medianus    93, 
190,  284 

villosus  villosus  92,  190,  285 
Duck,  Black  30,  100,  192 

Harlequin  37,   194 

Labrador  37,  194 

Lesser  Scaup  35,  190,  192 

Ring-necked  36,  194 

Ruddy  40,  192 

Scaup  35,  190,  192 

Wood  33,  191,  192 
Duck  family  28,  265 

River  30    •* 

Sea  34 
Dumetella  carolinensis    8,    167,    100, 

315,  328,  348 
Eagle,  Bald  82,  TOO,  193,  278 

Golden  81,  194,  278 

Northern  Bald  82,  102 
Ectopistes    migratorius  69,    191,    193, 

272 

Egret  45,  194 
Snowy  46,  194 


Egret  family  45,  265 

Egretta     candidissima     candidissima 

46,  194 
Eider  38,  194 

King  38,  194 

Elanpides  forficatus  74,  194 
Empidonax  flaviventris  103,  193 

minimus  8,  91,  105,  191,  290 

trailli  alnorum  8,  104,  191,  193 

virescens  8,  104,  191 
Ereunetes  mauri  59,  194 

pusillus  59,  193. 

Erismatura  jamaicensis  40,   192 
Erolia  ferruginea  183 
Euphagus  carolinus  114,  116,  193,  305 
Falco    columbarius    columbarius    83, 
192,  193,  275 

peregrinus  anatum  83,  190,  193,  274 

rusticolus  obsoletus  83,  194 

sparverius  sparverius  84,   190,   193, 

278 

Falcon  family  83,  273 
Falcone  s  74 
Falconidae  83,  273 
Falconinae  83 
Fieldfare  189 

Finch,  Purple  no,  118,  100,  193,  316 
Finch  family  117,  311 
Flicker,  Northern  96,  190,  193,  285 
Florida  caerulea  46,  104 
Flycatcher,  Acadian  8,  104,  191 

Alder  8,  104,  191,  193 

Crested  101,  191 

Least  8,  91,  105,  191,  290 

Olive-sided  102,  191,  193 

Scissor-tailed  100,  194 

Yellow-bellied   103,    193 
Flycatcher    family,   Tyrant    100,    287 
Fregata  aquila  28,   194 
Fregatidae  28,  264 
Fringillidze  117,  311 
Fulica  americana  52,  192,  266 
Fulicinae  52 
Fuligulinse  34 
Fulmar  25,  194 
Fulmar  family  25,  265 
Fulmarinae  25 

Fulmarus  glacialis  glacialis  25,  194 
Gadwall  31,  194 
Gallinse  68 

Gallinago  delicata  54,   100,   193,  266 
Gallinula  galeata  51,  102 
Gallinule,  Florida  51,  192 

Purple  51,  194 
Gallinule  family  51 
Gallinulinae  51 
Gannet  27,  194 


364 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.   HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Gannet  family  26,  265 
Garrulinae  107 
Gavia  immer  17,  190 

stellata  17,  192 
Gaviidae    17,    263 
Geothlypis    trichas    trichas    no,    163, 

iQi,  347 

Gnatcatcher,   Blue-gray   176,    195 
Gnatcatcher  family  176 
Goatsucker  family  97,  286 
Godwit,  Hudsonian  60,  194,  267 

Marbled  60,  194 
Golden-eye  36,  192 

Barrow's  36,  194 
Goldfinch  8,  121,  190,  325 

European  185 
Goose,  Canada  41,  192 

Egyptian  183 

Gre'ater  Snow  40,  194 

Hutchins'  41,  194 
Goose  family  40,  265 
Goshawk  8,  77,  190,  274,  279 
Crackle,  Bronzed  115,  190,  193,  306 

Purple  115,  116,  117,  191,  306,  315 
Grebe,  Holboell's  15,  192 

Horned  15,  192 

Pied-billed  16,  191,  192 
Grebe  family  15,  263 
Grosbeak,  Blue  187 

Evening  117,   194 

Pine  118,  192,  316 

Rose-breasted  135,  191,  337 
Grouse,  Canada  Ruffed  8,  69,  190 

Ruffed  8,  68,  190,  271 
Grouse  family  68,  268 
Grus  americana  183 

mexicana  183 
Guara  alba  42,  194 
Guillemot,  Black  18,  194 
Guiraca  caerulea  caerulea  187 
Gull,  Bonaparte's  22,  192 

Franklin's  264 

Glaucous  264 

Great  Black-backed  21,  192 

Herring  21,  192,  263,  264 

Iceland  20,  194 

Kumlien's  20,  194 

Laughing  21,   194 

Ring-billed  21,  192,  264 
Gull  family  20,  264 
Gyrfalcon,  Black  83,  194 
Haematopus  palliatus  67,  194 
Haliseetus     leucocephalus     alascanus 
82,  192 

leucocephalus  leucocephalus  82,  190, 

193,  278 
Harelda  hyemalis  37,  190 


Hawk,    Broad-winged    80,    191,    193, 

276,  277 

Chicken  75,  190,  193,  273,  274,  275. 
Cooper's  76,  190,  133,  273,  274,  275, 

279 

Duck  83,  190,  193,  274 
Fish  84,   191,   193,  274,  276 
Hen  76,  190,  193,  273,  274,  275,  279 
Marsh  75,  190,  193,  273,  276 
Pigeon  83,  192,  193,  275 
Red-shouldered  8,  78,  190,  276,  277 
Red-tailed  77,  190,  193,  276,  277 
Rough-legged  81,  192,  278 
Sharp-shinned    75,    190,    193,    273, 

274,  275 
Sparrow  84,  190,  193,  278 

Hawk  family  74,  273 

Heath  Hen  184 

Helmitheros  vermivorus  8,    in,   148, 
191 

Helodromas    solitarius    solitarius    61, 

193 

Hen,  Heath  184 
Herodias  egretta  45,  194 
Herodii  43 
Herodiones  42 
Heron,  Black-crowned  Night  47,  191 

Great  Blue  45,  191,  192,  266 

Green  47,  191 

Little  Blue  46,  194 
Heron  family  45,  265 
Hesperiphona  vespertina  vespertina 

117,  194 

Highhole  96,  190,  193,  285 
Hirundinidse  138,  338 
Hirundo  erythrogastra  139,   191,  339 
Histrionicus  histrionicus  37,  194 
Hummingbird,  Ruby-throated  99,  191, 

287 

Hummingbird  family  99,  287 
Hydrochelidon      nigra     surinamensis 

24,  194,  265 
Hylocichla  aliciae  aliciae  117,  194,  356 

aliciae  bicknelli  178,  194 

fuscescens   fuscescens   8,    no,    177, 

191,  356 

fuscescens  salicicola  137,  195 
guttata  pallasi  8,  178,  190,  194,  356 
mustelina  8,  91,  in,  176,  191,  356 
ustulata  swainsoni  178,  194,  356 

Ibides  42 

Ibididae  42 

Ibis  alba  42 
falcinella  43 
Glossy  43,   194 
White  42,  194 

Ibis  family  42 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


365 


Icteria  virens  virens  8,  in,  163,  191 

Icteridae  109,  298 

Icterus  galbula  8,  91,  114,  191,  310 

spurius  8,  ill,  113,  191,  310 
lonornis  martinicus  51,  194 
Iridoprocne  bicolor  140,  190,  193,  339, 

340 

Ixobrychus  exilis  44,  191,  192,  351 
Jaeger,  Long-tailed  20,  194 

Parasitic  20,   194 

Richardson's  20,  194 
Jaeger  family  20,  264 
Jay,  Blue  107,  190,  263,  291 
Jay  family  107,  291 
Junco  hyemalis  hyemalis  131,  190,  193, 
314,  333 

Slate-colored  131,  190,  193,  314,  333 
Killdeer  65,  190,  193,  267,  268 
Kingbird  8,  100,  191,  287 
Kingfisher,  Belted  91,  141,  190,  283 
Kinglet,     Golden-crowned     175,     192, 
193,  355 

Ruby-crowned   175,   194,  355 
Kinglet  family  175,  355 
Kite,  Swallow-tailed  74,  194 
Kittiwake  20,  194 
Knot  55,  194 
Laniidae  143,  341 
Lanius  borealis  143,  192,  341 

ludovicianus  migrans  143,  190,  193, 

341,  344 
Lanivireo  flavifrons  no,  146,  191,  344, 

345 

solitarius  solitarius  8,  146,  191,  193 
Laridae  20,  264 
Larinae  20,  264 
Lark,  Horned  105,  102,  290 

Hoyt's  Horned  106,  192 

Prairie  Horned  106,  190 
Lark  family  105,  290 
Larus  argentatus  21,  192,  263,  264 

atricilla  21,  194 

delawarensis  21,  192,  264 

franklini  264 

hyperboreus  264 

kumlieni  20,  194 

leucppterus  20,  194 

marinus  21,  192 

Philadelphia  22,  192 
Limicolae  52,  266 
Limosa  fedoa  60,  194 

baemastica  60,    194,  267 
Lobipes  lobatus  52,  194,  267 
Longipennes  20 

Longspur,  Lapland  122,  192,  193 
Loon   17,    190 

Red-throated  17,  192 


Loon  family  17,  263 
Lophodytes  cucullatus  29,  192 
Loxia  curvirostra  minor  119,  192,  317 

leucoptera  119,  192,  317 
Macrochires  97 

Macrorhamphus    griseus    griseus    54, 
193,  267 

griseus  scolopaceus  55,  194 
Mallard  30,  192 
Man-o'-war-bird  28,  194,  264 
Man-o'-war-bird  family  28,  264 
Mareca  americana  31,  192 
Marila  affinis  35,  190,  192 

americana  34,  192 

collaris  36,  194 

marila  35,  190,  192 

valisineria  34,  194 

Martin,  Purple  138,  186,  191,  338,  340 
Meadowlark  113,  190,  280,  308 
Melanerpes   erythrocephalus   94,    190, 

193 

Meleagris  gallopavo  silvestris  184 
Melospiza  georgiana  132,  190,  193,  336 

lincolni  lincolni  132,  193,  336 

melodia  melodia  no,  131,  190,  314, 

315,  329,  334 
Merganser  28,  192 

Hooded  29,  192 

Red-breasted  29,  192 
Merganser  family  28 
Merginae  28 
Mergus  americanus  28,  192 

serrator  29,  192 

Micropalama  himantopus  55,    194 
Micrppodidae  99,  287 
Mimidae  167,  348 
Mimus    polyglottos    polyglottos    167, 

191,  195 
Mniotilta  varia  8,  in,  147,  191,  193, 

347 

Mniotiltidse  147,  346 
Mockingbird  167,  191,  195 
Molothrus  ater  ater  no,  116,  146,  160, 

i9p,  302,  315 
Motacillidae  166,  348 
Murre,  Brunnich's  18,  194 
Muscivora  forficata  100,  194 
Myiarchus  crinitus  101,  191 
Myiochanes  virens  103,  in,  191,  290 
Nannus  hiemalis  hiemalis  8,  171,  190, 

193,  351 
Nettion  carolinense  32,  192 

crecca  32 

Nighthawk  98,   191,   193,  286 
Numenius  americanus  63,  194 

borealis  64,  194,  267 

hudsonicus  63,  193 


366 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Nuthatch,    Red-breasted  8,   173,   190, 

193,  351 

White-breasted  173,  190,  351 
Nuthatch  family  173,  351 
Nuttallornis  borealis  102,  191,  193 
Nyctea  nyctea  89,  192,  282 
Nycticorax  nycticorax  naevius  47,  191 
Oceanites  oceanicus  26,  194 
Oceanitinae  26 

Oceanodroma  leucorhoa  26,  194 
Ochthodromus  wilsonius  67,  194 
Odontophoridae  68,  268 
Oidemia  americana  38,  192 

deglandi  39,  190,  192 

perspicillata  40,  190,  192 
Old-squaw  37,  190 
Olor  columbianus  42,  194^ 
Oporornis  agilis  162,  193 

formosus  8,  161,  191 

Philadelphia  162,  193 
Oriole,  Baltimore  8,  91,  114,  191,  310 

Orchard  8,  HI,  113,  191,  310 
Oriole  family  109,  298 
Oscines  105 

Osprey  84,  191,  193,  274,  276 
Otocoris   alpestris   alpestris   105,   192, 
290 

alpestris  hoyti  106,  192 

alpestris  praticola  106,  190 
Otus  asio  asio  88,  190,  279,  280,  281 
Ovenbird  no,  149,  160,  191 
Owl,  Barn  85,  190 

Barred  79,  87,  88,  190,  279 

Great  Gray  87,  194 

Great  Horned  89,  190,  278,  279 

Hawk  90,  194 

Long-eared  86,  190,  281 

Richardson's  88,  194 

Saw-whet  88,  190,  280,  281 

Screech   88,    190,   279,   280,   281 

Short-eared  86,   190,   193,  280 

Snowy  89,  192,  282 
Owl  family  85,  278 

Barn  85 

Horned  86 
Oxyechus  vociferus  65,  190,  193,  267, 

268 

Oyster-catcher  68,  194 
Paludicolae  48 
Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis  84,  191, 

193,  274,  276 
Pandionidae  84,  274 
Paridae  174,  352 
Partridge,  Gray  184,  191 

Hungarian  184 
Partridge  family  68,  268 
Passer  domesticus  169,  186,  191 


Passerculus    princeps    123,    192,    193, 
328 

sandwichensis  savanna  8,  124,  190, 

193,  327 
Passerella  iliaca  iliaca  133,  192,  193, 

314,  335,  336 
Passeres  100 

Passerherbulus   caudacutus    126,    190, 
330 

henslowi  henslowi  125,  191 

maritimus    maritimus  8,   126,    127, 
190,  330 

nelsoni  nelsoni  127,  193 

nelsoni  subvirgatus  127,  193 
Passerina  cyanea  8,  no,  136,  191 
Pelecanidae  28,  265 
Pelecanus  occidentalis  28,  194 
Pelican,  Brown  28,  194 
Pelican  family  28,  265 
Pelidna  alpina  sakhalina  58,  193 
Penthestes  atricapillus  atricapillus  8, 
143,  174,  190,  352 

hudsonicus  hudsonicus  174,  195 
Perdix  perdix  184,  IQI 
Petrel,  Leach's  26,  194 

Wilson's  26,  194 
Petrel  family  25,  265 

Long-legged  Storm  26 

Storm  26 
Petrochelidon  lunifrons  lunifrons  139, 

186,  191,  193,  339 
Pewee,  Wood  103,  in,  191,  290 
Phalacrocoracidse  27,  265 
Phalacrocorax  auritus  auritus  27,  192 

carbo  27,  192 
Phalarope,  Northern  52,  194,  267 

Red  52,  194 

Wilson's  53,  194 
Phalarope  family  52,  266 
Phalaropodidae  52,  266 
Phalaropus  fulicarius  52,  194 
Phasiani  68 
Phasianus  colchicus  184,  191 

torquatus  184,  191 
Pheasant,  English  184,  191 

Ring  184,  191 

Philohela  minor  53,  190,  193,  266,  268 
Phloeotomus    pileatus    abieticola    94, 

190 

Phoebe  101,  no,  190,  289 
Pici  02 

Picidae  92,  284 
Picoides  arcticus  93,  194 
Pigeon,  Passenger  69,  191,  193,  272 
Pigeon  family  69,  272 
Pinicola  enucleator  leucura  118,  192, 


No.  20.] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


367 


Pintail  33,  192 

Pipilo    erythrophthalmus    erythroph- 
thalmus 8,  in,  134,  190,  280,  337 
Pipit  166,  192,  193,  348 
Piranga  erythromelas  8,  91,  no,  137, 
ipi,  338 

ludoviciana  137,  195 

rubra  rubra  138,  195 
Pisobia  bairdi  57,  194,  268 

fuscicollis  56,  57,  193 

maculata  56,  193,  267,  268 

minutilla  58,  193 

Planesticus    migratorius    migratorius 
90,  91,  in,  179,  190,  279,  280,  328, 
356 
Plectrophenax  nivalis  nivalis  122,  192, 

193,  326 

Plegadis  autumnalis  43,  194 
Plover,  Black-bellied  64,  193 

Golden  64,  193,  267 

Piping  67,  193 

Semipalmated  66,   193 

Upland  62,  191,  193,  267,  268 

Wilson's  67,  194 
Plover  family  64,  267 
Podilymbus  podiceps  16,  191,  192 
Polioptila  cserulea  caerulea  176,  195 
Polioptilinae  176 
Pocecetes   gramineus   gramineus    123, 

190,  327,  328,  329 
Porzana  Carolina  49,  191,  192,  266 
Procellariidse  25,  265 
Procellariinse  26 
Progne  subis  subis  138,  186,  191,  338, 

340 

Protonotaria  citrea  148,  195 
Puffininas  25 
Puffinus  gravis  25,  194 
Pygopodes  15 
Quail,  Connecticut  68 

European  183 

Migratory  183 
Quail  family  68 
Querquedula  discors  32,  192 
Quiscalus    quiscula    seneus    115,    190, 
193,  306 

quiscula  quiscula  115,  116,  117,  191, 

306,  315 
Rail,  Black  50,  191 

Clapper  8,  48,  190,  266 

King  48,  191 

Virginia  49,  191,  192,  266 

Yellow  50,  192,  280 
Rail  family  48,  266 
Ralli  48 
Rallidae  48,  266 
Rallinae  48,  266 


Rallus  crepitans  crepitans  8,  48,  190, 
266 

elegans  48,  191 

virginianus  49,  191,  192,  266 
Raptores  73 

Raven,  Northern  107,  194 
Recurvirostra  americana  53,  194,  266, 

268 

Recurvirostridae  53,  266 
Redhead  34,  192 
Redpoll  120,  192 

Greater  121,  195 

Hoary  120,  195 
Redstart  no,  166,  191,  347 
Regulinae  175 
Regulus  calendula  calendula  175,  194, 

355 

satrapa  satrapa  175,  192,  193,  355 
Rhynchopidse  25,  265 
Rhynchops  nigra  25,  194 
Riparia  riparia  141,  191,  193,  340 
Rissa  tridactyla  tridactyla  20,  194 
Robin  90,  91,  in,  179,  190,  279,  280, 

328,  356 

Sanderling  59,  193 
Sandpiper,  Baird's  57,  194,  268 

Bartramian  62,  191,  193,  267,  268 

Buff-breasted  63,  194 
'   Curlew  183 

Least  58,  193 

Pectoral  56,  193,  267,  268 

Purple  56,  192,  193 

Red-backed  58,  193 

Semipalmated  59,  193 

Solitary  61,   103 

Spotted  63,  191,  268 

Stilt  55,  183,  194 

Western  59,  194 

White-rumped  56,  57,  193 
Sandpiper  family  53,  266,  267 
Sapsucker,  Yellow-bellied  8,  93,  190, 

193,  284 

Sarcorhamphi  73 
Sayornis  phoebe  101,  no,  190,  289 
Scolopacidae  53,  266 
Scoter  38,  192 

Surf  40,  190,  192 

White-winged  39,  190,  192 
Scotiaptex  nebulosa  nebulosa  87,  194 
Seiurus  aurocapillus  110,  149,  160,  191 

motacilla  8,  in,  161,  191 

noveboracensis  notabilis  161,  193 

noveboracensis  noveboracensis  160, 

193 

Setophaga  ruticilla  no,  166,  191,  347 
Shearwater,  Greater  25,  194 
Shearwater  family  25,  265 


368 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.   HIST.  SURVEY. 


[Bull. 


Shoveller  33,  194 

Shrike,    Migrant    143,    190,    193,   341, 

344 

Northern  143,  192,  341,  344 
Shrike  family  143,  341 
Sialia  sialis  sialis  in,  180,  186,  190, 

328,  360 

Siskin,  Pine  121,  192,  193,  326 
Sitta  canadensis  8,  173,  190,  193,  351 
carolinensis    carolinensis    173,    190, 

351 

Sittidae  173,  351 
Skimmer,  Black  25,  194 
Skimmer  family  25,  265 
Snipe,  Wilson's  54,  190,  193,  266 
Snowflake  122,  192,  193,  326 
Somateria  dresseri  38,  194 

spectabilis  38,  194 
Sora  49,  191,  192,  266 
Sparrow,   Acadian   Sharp-tailed    127, 

193  . 

Chipping  in,  129,  191,  315,  329,  332 
English  169,  186,  191,  261,  317 
Field  1 10,  130,  90,  315,  329,  332,  333 
Fox  133,  192,  193,  314,  335,  336 
Grasshoper  124,  191,  328,  329 
Henslow's  125,  191 
Ipswich  123,  192,  193,  328 
Lark  329 

Lincoln's  132,  193,  336 
Nelson's  127,  193 
Savanna  8,  124,  190,  193,  327 
Seaside  8,  126,  127,  190,  330 
Sharp-tailed  126,  190,  330 
Song  no,  131,  190,  314,  315,  329,  334 
Swamp  132,  190,  193,  336 
Tree  129,  192,  314,  331 
Vesper  123,  190,  327,  328,  329 
White-crowned  128,  193,  335,  336 
White-throated  8,  129,  190,  193,  314, 

330,  335,  336 
Sparrow  family  117,  311 
Spatula  clypeata  33,  194 
Sphyrapicus  varius  varius  8,  93,  190, 

193,  284 

Spinus  pinus  121,  192,  193,  326 
Spiza  americana  136,  191,  329 
Spizella  monticola  monticola  129,  192, 

314,  33i 

passerina   passerina    in,    129,    191, 

315,  329,  332 

pusilla   pusilla    no,    130,    190,   315, 

329,  332,  333 

Squatarola  squatarola  64,  193 
Starling  185,  191,  261,  295 
Steganopodes  26 
Steganopus  tricolor  53,  194 


Stelgidopteryx  serripennis  141,  191 
Stercorariidae  20,  264 
Stercorarius  longicaudus  20,  194 

parasiticus  20,  194 
Sterna  antillarum  24,  194,  265 

dougalli  23,  191,  262 

fuscata  24,  194 

hirundo  22,  191,  265 

paradisaea  23,  194 
Sterninae  22 
Striges  85,  278 
Strigidse  86 

Strix  varia  varia  87,  88,  190,  279 
Sturnella  magna  magna  113,  190,  280, 

308 

Sturnidae  295 

Sturnus  vulgaris  185,  191,  261,  295 
Sula  bassana  27,  194 

leucogastra  26,  194 
Sulidae  26,  265 

Surnia  ulula  caparoch  90,  194 
Swallow,  Bank  141,  191,  193,  340 

Barn  139,  191,  339 

Cliff  139,  186,  191,  193,  339 

Eave  139,  186,  191,  193,  339 

Rough-winged  141,  191 

Tree  140,  190,  193,  339,  34O 
Swallow  family  138,  338 
Swan,  Whistling  42,  194 
Swan  family  42 
Swift,  Chimney  99,  191,  287 
Swift  family,  Spine-tailed  99 
Swimmers,  Lamellirostral  28 

Long-winged  20 

Totipalmate  26 

Tube-nosed  25 
Sylviidse  175,  355 

Tanager,  Scarlet  8,  91,  no,  137,  191, 
338 

Summer  138,  195 

Western  137,  195 
Tanager  family  137,  338 
Tangaridae  137,  338 
Teal,  Blue-winged  32,  192 

European  32 

Green-winged  32,  192 
Telmatodytes  palustris  palustris   172, 

190,  351 
Tern,  Arctic  23,  194 

Black  24,  194,  265 

Common  22,  191,  265 

Least  24,  194,  265 

Roseate  23,  191,  262 

Sooty  24,  194 
Tern  family  22,  264 
Tetraonidae  68,  268 
Thrasher,  Brown  8,  in,  168,  190,  349 


No.  20.  ] 


THE  BIRDS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 


369 


Thrasher  family  167,  348 
Thrush,  Bicknell's  178,  194 

Gray-cheeked  177,  194,  356 

Hermit  8,  178,  190,  194,  356 

Olive-backed  178,  194,  356 

Willow  177,  195 

Wilson's  8,  na,  177,  191,  356 

Wood  8,  91,  in,  176,  191,  356 
Thrush  family  176,  355 
Thryothorus      ludovicianus      ludovi- 

cianus  n,  169,  190 
Titlark  166,  192,  193,  348 
Titmouse,  Tufted  174,  195 
Titmouse  family  174,  352 
Totanus  flavipes  61,  193 

melanoleucus  60,  192,  193 
Towhee  8,  in,  134,  190,  280,  337 
Toxostoma  rufum  8,  in,  168,  190,  349 
Tringa  canutus  55,   194 
Trochili  99 
Trochilidae  99,  287 

Troglodytes  ae'don  aedon  170,  191,  350 
Troglodytidse  169,  350 
Tryngites  subruficollis  63,  194 
Tubinares  25 
Turdidae  176,  355 
Turdinae  176 
Turdus  pilaris  189 
Turkey,  Wild  184 
Turnstone,  Ruddy  67,  193 
Turnstone  family  67,  266 
Tympanichus  cupido  184 
Tyrannidae  100,  287 
Tyrannus  tyrannus  8,  100,  191,  287 
Tyrant  Flycatcher  family  loo,  287 
Uria  lomvia  lomvia  18,  194 

troille  troille  19 
Veery  8,  no,  177,  191,  356 
Vermivora  celata  celata  151,  193 

chysoptera  149,   150,   187,   188,   189, 
191 

lawrencei  149,  187 

leucobronchialis  187,  188 

peregrina  151,  193,  347 

pinus  8,  in,  149,  150,  187,  188,  189, 
191 

rubricapilla    rubricapilla    150,    191, 

193 
Vireo,  Blue-headed  8,  146,  191,  193 

griseus  griseus  8,  in,  147,  191,  344, 
345 

Philadelphia  145,  193 

Red-eyed  8,  no,  144,  191,  344,  345 

Solitary  8,  146,  191,  193 

Warbling  8,   145,  146,  191,  344,  345 

White-eyed  8,  in,  147,  191,  344,  345 

Yellow-throated  no,  146,  191,  344, 
345 
24 


Vireo  family  144,  344 

Vireonidse  144,  344 

Vireosylva  gilva  gilva  8,  145,  146,  191, 

344i  345 

oliyacea  8,  no,  144,  191,  344,  345 

philadelphica   145,   193 
Vulture,  Black  74,  194 

Turkey  73,  194 
Vulture  family,  American  73 
Wagtail  family  166,  348 
Warbler,  Bay-breasted  156,  193 

Black  and  White  8,   in,   147,   191, 

193,  347 

Blackburnian  8,   157,   191,   193 
Black-poll  157,  193 
Black- throated  Blue  8,  154,  191,  193 
Black-throated  Green  158,  191,  193 
Blue-winged  8,    in,   149,   150,   187, 

188,  189,  191 
Brewster's  187,  188 
Canada  8,  165,  191,  193 
Cape  May  153,  193 
Cerulean  155,  195 
Chestnut-sided  8,  no,  156,  191 
Connecticut  162,  193 
Golden-winged   149,    150,    187,   188, 

189,  191 

Hooded  8,  164,  191 
Kentucky  8,  161,  191 
Lawrence's  149,  187 
Magnolia  8,  155,  191,  193 
Mourning  162,  193 
Myrtle  154,  192,  193,  347 
Nashville  150,  191,  193 
Northern  Parula  152,  191,  193 
Orange-crowned  151,  10,3 
Palm  158,  193 

Pine   158,    191,   193 

Prairie  8,  no,  150^  191 

Prothonotary  148,  195 

Tennessee  151,  193,  347 

Wilson's  164,  193 

Worm-eating  8,  in,  148,  191 

Yellow  8,  1 10,  153,  191,  264,  347 

Yellow  Palm  159,  192,  193 
Warbler  family  175 

Wood  147,  346 
Water-thrush  160,  193 

Grinnell's  161,  193 

Louisiana  8,  in,  161,  191 
Waxwing,  Bohemian  142,  195 

Cedar  111,  142,  190,  340 
Waxwing  family  142,  340 
Whip-poor-will  97,  191,  286 
Willet  61,  194 

Western  62,  194 
Wilsonia  canadensis  8,  165,  191,  193 

citrina  8,  164,  191 


370 


CONNECTICUT  GEOL.  AND  NAT.  HIST.  SURVEY. 


Wilsonia   canadensis  pusilla  pusilla 

164,  193 

Woodcock  53,  190,  193,  266,  268 
Woodpecker,    Arctic"  Three-toed    93, 
194 

Downy  93,  190,  284 

Golden-winged  96,  190,  193,  285 

Hairy  92,  190,  285 

Northern  Pileated  94,  190 

Pigeon  96,  190,  193,  285 

Red-bellied  96,  194 

Red-headed  94,  190,  193 
Woodpecker  family  92,  284 
Woodquoi  96,  190,  193,  285 
Wren,  Carolina  n,  169,  190 

House  170,  191,  350 

Long-billed  Marsh  172,  190,  351 


Wren,  Short-billed  Marsh  171,  191 
Winter  8,   171,   190,   193,  351 

Wren  family   169,  350 

Xanthocephalus    xanthocephalus    in, 
194 

Yellow-hammer  96,  190,  193,  285 

Yellow-legs  61,  193 
Greater  60,  192,  193 

Yellowthroat,  Maryland  no,  163,  191, 

347 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana  135,  191,  337 
Zenaidura  macroura  carolinensis   73, 

190,  272 
Zonotrichia  albicollis  8,  129,  190,  193, 

314,  330,  335,  336 
leucophrys  leucophrys  128,  193,  335, 

336 


